Another sad story

[MYSONSDAD]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/5679855.html



Woman throws 3 children into San Francisco Bay
Associated Press
Last update: October 20, 2005 at 10:18 AM


Woman throws 3 children into San Francisco Bay

SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard resumed searching for two missing children Thursday, a day after their mother allegedly threw them into San Francisco Bay near Fishermen's Wharf. The body of a third sibling was recovered.

The mother, Lashaun Harris, 23, of Oakland, was booked on three counts of murder, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday. Her children were identified as Trayshaun Harris, 6, Travante Greely, 3, and Joshua Harris, 1.

Police contacted Thursday by The Associated Press declined to confirm the arrest report. The department's spokeswoman, Maria Oropeza, did not immediately returned a message.

A child's body was found about four hours after a witness reported seeing a woman drop the children into the bay Wednesday near Pier 7, said Jonathan Guerra of the U.S. Coast Guard. The identity of the body was not immediately able to be confirmed, but the San Francisco Examiner reported Thursday that it was that of the 3-year-old.

While rescuers searched for the children Wednesday night, an empty stroller was visible on the pier. A small inflatable Coast Guard boat hugged the water front as rescuers used hand-held flashlights to search under the pier. Larger Coast Guard and San Francisco police boats searched the water with high-powered flashlights.

Mayor Gavin Newsom came to the scene to get briefed by authorities, telling reporters, "I'm sick to my stomach,'' before leaving.

Lashaun Harris told authorities that voices had told her to throw her children into the water, the Chronicle reported. It was not immediately known whether she had an attorney.

Harris had been staying with her children at a Salvation Army shelter in Oakland, the Chronicle reported.

"I just talked to her yesterday,'' Mary Ann Ramirez, the shelter's social services manager, told the newspaper Wednesday. "We had our usual how are you doing, how's the kids. I would never have guessed in a million years that today she would do that.''

The pier is in the Embarcadero area, which draws tourists to the historic Ferry Building within view of Coit Tower and the landmark Transamerica pyramid. It's about a mile from Fishermen's Wharf.

"Children learn what they live"