Charges: Itayvia Lloyd 'Snapped' Before She Threw Boy With Autism Off Balcony
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A Twin Cities mother told investigators that she pushed her 11-year-old son off the balcony of her fourth-floor apartment Monday because she was in a fit of rage and lashed out at her disabled child.
Thirty-three-year-old Itayvia Lloyd, of St. Paul, is charged with one count of second-degree attempted murder, according to court documents filed in Ramsey County. She was also charged earlier this week with two counts of assaulting a peace officer for allegedly trying to punch an arresting officer and spitting in another's face as she was booked into jail.
The child thrown from the balcony is expected to survive, although police say he suffered severe injuries to his legs and face. He's expected to undergo multiple surgeries as he recovers.
"This is certainly one of the most tragic cases that has happened during my time," said John Choi, the Ramsey County Attorney, in a statement. "My heart breaks for this 11 year-old boy who is recovering from his massive injuries and for this family, including the mother who stands accused of attempted murder."
According to a criminal complaint, responding officers found the child, described as being on the autism spectrum and nonverbal, in the courtyard of the apartment building on the 700 block of Hampden Avenue. A 911 caller thought that he'd jumped off the balcony. The boy's legs appeared to be broken, and blood was coming from his mouth. When an emergency responder braced the boy's neck, he felt the boy's jaw collapse and crack.
Officers found Lloyd, the boy's mother, in her fourth-floor apartment, naked in the bathtub. Her 6-year-old son had opened the door. When Lloyd was asked about what happened to her 11-year-old son, she didn't respond. Officers arrested her, noting that her manner "completely changed" as they headed downtown.
In an initial interview with investigators, Lloyd spoke incoherently and in a disjointed manner, ripping up papers, yelling at officers and taking off her clothes, the complaint states. She allegedly admitted to picking her son up off his bunk bed and throwing him over the balcony.
"I threw that kid off that balcony," she reportedly said. "He really fell. For real."
Investigators spoke with Lloyd's 6-year-old son, who said that his mother admitted to him that she threw his brother over the balcony. The child reported that the episode happened after a fight between Lloyd and the boys' stepmother. The 6-year-old child was taken into protective custody.
Also interviewed was the boys' stepmother, who had been in a relationship with Lloyd for three years. She said that Lloyd was acting "out of her mind" Monday morning, but denied that the two of them had been fighting. The stepmother said she found the 11-year-old child on the ground below the balcony and stayed with him until medics arrived.
In a second interview with police Tuesday, Lloyd told investigators that her behavior in the previous interview was an act. She said that she was enraged by a fight she had with her partner when she "snapped" and pushed her son over the balcony.
She told investigators that raising her son alone had been difficult and admitted that she let her rage out at her son because of his disabilities. She said that she wished heaven was the boy's home. When asked if she was trying to kill him, Lloyd reportedly said: "Yes, but I want my baby here," the complaint states.
If convicted of the attempted murder charge, Lloyd faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Her bail has been set at $500,000. She made her first appearance in court Wednesday morning.
