A mother of three, who drove her minivan into the ocean surf at Dayton Beach Tuesday, was today charged with three counts of attempted first degree murder and three counts of child abuse.
Ebony Wilkerson, 32, of South Carolina, was arrested at Halifax Health Center in Daytona Beach, after deputies concluded that she intentionally tried to kill her children by driving into the rough ocean surf.
According to deputies, as Wilkerson drove into the ocean, she locked the doors of her 2012 Honda Odyssey, put up the windows and told her frightened children to close their eyes and go to sleep.
She then ignored the children’s pleas for help, insisting that she was taking herself and her three children to “a safer place,” Volusia deputies said.
Volusia County Beach Safety officers responded to the initial incident on Tuesday afternoon and teamed up with several beachgoers to rescue the children — a 3-year-old girl, 9-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl.
Deputies say, while at the hospital, the children declared: “Mom tried to kill us.” The oldest child told beach officers that her mother took them to the beach “so we could die.” The oldest child grabbed the steering wheel and unsuccessfully tried to steer the vehicle away from the water.
During the ordeal, the yelling of the children attracted bystanders, but when they approached the vehicle, Wilkerson told them everything was okay, investigators learned.
As the water rushed in, Wilkerson exited the minivan leaving her children behind, investigators also said. According to a witness, during the rescue one of the beach safety officers had to fend off Wilkerson, who was grabbing at the officer and trying to stop him from entering the vehicle.
Deputies also interviewed a family member who said, Wilkerson was in an abuse relationship and that she had come to Florida with her children to get away from her husband. The relative also said that she had no history of mental illness.
Wilkerson was arrested on Friday morning, after being released from Halifax Health Center.
