Sunset Park mom found guilty of drowning toddler
A Sunset Park woman was convicted of manslaughter Tuesday for drowning her 2-year-old daughter in 2016. The day before she killed her daughter, she held her 4-year-old son’s head submerged underwater, too.
Li Lin took her daughter Melody Zheng into the bathroom of their home on 47th Street in Sunset Park to punish her on March 13, 2016, according to the Brooklyn district attorney. Lin put Melody into a storage container in the bathtub and filled it with water. She held the toddler’s head underwater until she stopped struggling, according to the DA.
“Melody was a defenseless child who depended on her mother to protect her,” said Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez in a statement. “It is extremely sad and inexplicable that she lost her life at the hands of the person who should have kept her safe. Nothing will bring Melody back, but with this verdict we make clear that we will bring to justice those who harm our children.”