Police: Florida girl was alive when she was tossed from the bridge

[davidn3600]

TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - A 5-year-old Florida girl was likely alive when her father dropped her 62 feet off a bridge into the choppy waters of Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg police said on Friday.

Phoebe Jonchuck, a kindergarten student, was found in the water about an hour and a half later and pronounced dead at a hospital early on Thursday. Her father, 25-year-old John Jonchuck, has been charged with murder.

"Based on preliminary evidence, our investigators believe Phoebe was alive when Jonchuck dropped her from the bridge," St. Petersburg Police said in a statement.

An off-duty police officer thought he heard her scream as he witnessed the father remove the girl from a vehicle and throw her over the bridge railing early on Thursday, police said.

John Jonchuck was questioned by authorities just hours before the overnight incident following reports of his bizarre behavior. He assured them that he had no plans to harm himself or anyone else.

Phoebe Jonchuck's family was well-known to child welfare officials at the Florida Department of Children and Families, which had received multiple reports alleging domestic violence, drug abuse and mental health concerns involving both of her parents.

http://news.yahoo.com/florida-girl-alive-tossed-bridge-father-police-184913009.html

This child should have been in foster care. Another screw-up by Florida DCF.

[Skittles]

1. that poor child never stood a chance

[Fumesucker]

2. ...

[lunasun]

3. heard he had custody but he was upset mother got engaged

[Xipe Totec]

4. Alfonsina and the Sea

From the soft sand lapped by the sea,
Your little footprint will never come back.
A path full of pain and suffering
Reaches the deep water;
A path of silent grief
Leads to the waves.

Only God knows what anguish you had,
What ancient pains silenced your voice.
Lying down, lulled by the song
Of the conch shells,
The songs that the conchs sing
In the dark depths of the sea.

Alfonsina, you have left with your loneliness.
What new poems are you seeking?
An ancient voice of the wind and the sea
Breaks off your soul and carries it away.
And you follow, as in your dreams,
Asleep, Alfonsina, clothed with the sea.

Five little mermaids will take you
Along paths of seaweed and coral,
And phosphorescent sea horses
Will swim around you.
And the creatures of the water
Will soon play at your side.

Dim the lamp a little more for me.
Let me sleep in peace.
And if he calls, don't tell him that I'm here.
Tell him that Alfonsina will not return.
And if he calls, don't ever tell him that I'm here—
Say that I have gone.

Alfonsina, you have left with your loneliness.
What new poems are you seeking?
An ancient voice of the wind and the sea
Breaks off your soul and carries it away.
And you follow, as in your dreams,
Asleep, Alfonsina, clothed with the sea.

[NaturalHigh]

5. How could anyone do that to a child...

especially her own father?

[smirkymonkey]

6. She was heard screaming before she was tossed off the bridge.

By her OWN FATHER!! The poor little girl! I cannot imagine a more horrifying end than that.

I just can't get my mind around this. What kind of person puts their own child through such a horrifying end?

[Lurks Often]

7. I don't care if he is or is not mentally ill, he deserves a slow, excruciating death

and the people and judge who allowed him to retain custody should be fired for cause, lose any professional certifications and be banned from working in those career fields and any government job ever again.

I have NO doubt someone the system KNEW he was a danger to the kid but was too lazy to make the effort to get that poor kid into foster care.

[arthritisR_US]

8. That poor poor little luv