Mom tries to drown her daughter in lake before witness saves her, Tennessee cops say

A mother has been arrested after witnesses said they stopped her from drowning her young daughter in a lake, Tennessee police say.

The woman has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated child neglect and driving under the influence, according to Monroe County jail records.

The Georgia woman told her 7-year-old daughter that she was taking her to her grandmother in New York, WXIA reported. Instead, the woman drove her to Tellico Lake in Vonore, Tennessee.

Witnesses told the police that the woman walked into the lake and held her daughter’s head underwater in what appeared to be an attempt to drown her, the Vonore Police Department shared in a news release Sept. 29. Witnesses intervened and pulled the child away.

The woman then went back to her car and drove it into the lake, the department said. She managed to climb out through the driver’s window and swim to shore.

Eventually, she was caught and taken into custody, and the officer believed she was under the influence, according to police.

The young girl is now with family in Georgia, police said.

The girl told police her mother had been acting strangely for the last couple of days, WSB-TV reported.

Vonore is 160 miles north of Atlanta.

McClatchy News is not identifying the suspect to protect the identity of the child.

This story was originally published September 29, 2023 at 7:33 PM with the headline "Mom tries to drown her daughter in lake before witness saves her, Tennessee cops say."