MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Detectives used a police dog to continue to gather evidence on Thursday in the case of the mother who is accused of drowning her 9-year-old son in Miami-Dade County.

Patricia Ripley reported two men had abducted Alejandro Ripley on May 21st. Hours later in the morning, detectives learned his body was in a pond-like canal at the Miccosukee Golf and Country Club in the quiet Kendale Lakes neighborhood. His mother confessed to the drowning and said he was in a “better place,” according to the arrest report.

Detectives are accusing Patricia Ripley, 45, right of killing her 9-year-old son, Alejandro.
Detectives are accusing Patricia Ripley, 45, right of killing her 9-year-old son, Alejandro. (Miami-Dade Department of Corrections and Miami-Dade Police Department)

The residents of the Kendall Acres Condominiums helped detectives find video showing Ripley pushing Alejandro into a canal and running away. Alejandro is a non-verbal patient diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. He couldn’t tell the witnesses his mother had attempted to kill him. Detectives said she succeeded in her second attempt May 21st.

Two women hug near the small lake where a 9-year-old boy turned up dead Friday in Kendale Lakes.
Two women hug near the small lake where a 9-year-old boy turned up dead Friday in Kendale Lakes. (Local 10 News)

Detectives arrested the 45-year-old mother on May 23rd. She is being held without bond and faces a first-degree murder charge and a premeditated attempted murder charge. Miami-Dade County Court records show Patricia Ripley’ is set to appear in court for an arraignment hearing at 9 p.m., June 12th.

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