Judge: Mom Accused Of Attempting To Drown Kids To Remain Jailed

MIAMI (CBS4) – The attorney for a South Florida mother accused of trying to drown her two young children filed a motion asking for the mother's release.

Judge Sarah Zabel denied the motion Tuesday morning, but said she would consider it at a future hearing.

"Her release without prejudice will be denied," Zabel said.

Her attorney also argued that she wasn't getting proper healthcare in jail, at which time Judge Zabel asked the attorney to bring in more information about that allegation so that she could take that into account at a future hearing.

Miami Beach police arrested Shirley Jean, 26, after they say she drove off the Julia Tuttle Causeway and into the water with her 7-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son in the car on June 2nd.

On Tuesday – more than a month after the alleged incident – Jean appeared calm in court resting her head against her handcuffed hands.

The children managed to escape harm thanks to three fishermen who witnessed the car in distress. The fishermen told police that Jean tried to block them from helping the girl. One of the fishermen told police that Jean tried to bite him as he attempted to save the child.

Police said when they arrived, they said Jean had been trying to drown her daughter by pushing her head underwater. Both children were rescued without major injuries, authorities said.

Police say she admitted to trying to drown them both.

A few days after the incident, a Massachusetts father said he wanted custody of his 2-year-old son who Jean allegedly nearly killed. A judge had temporarily awarded custody of the child to his mother's family.

"One of the kids is my son. He was in the car," said Guelord Antoine, who claims to be the father of the two year old boy. "I didn't know what to do. The only thing that was in my mind was to come down to Miami."

Antoine came with a birth certificate hoping to prove he is the father. Antoine told CBS4 that he now wants to take his 2-year-old son back to Massachusetts.

"If I could have custody of my son, that would be the world to me," Antoine said.

Antoine said he has been living in Massachusetts after he couldn't find a job in South Florida.

"I have been down here looking for work for the past 3 years. I couldn't find anything," Antoine said. "There was no way I could support my son without having any income coming in."

But, the issue now is Jean's family, who she had been living with. They promised a judge last month that they would ask Jean to leave the home when she is released from jail and if they could have custody of the children.

But Antoine said he will fight for custody of his son.

"I can get another job, but I can't get another son," Antoine said.