Ebony Wilkerson, a pregnant South Carolina woman, drove a minivan with her three children towards ocean surf after hearing "demon voices." Wilkerson is now undergoing mental check and faces attempted murder charges.
Wilkerson is 32 years old and is over 27 weeks pregnant. She also has three children aged 3, 9, and 10. Wilkerson's younger sister Jessica Harrell says that on Tuesday, March 4, the pregnant woman along with her three children came to her as she claimed that her husband beat her and she was trying to get away from him. Before leaving her sister's house Wilkerson spoke of hearing demon voices.
Worried about her sister's behavior, Harrell called 911 and explained to the operator that she was worried about her sister's mental health.
Daytona Beach Police Officers caught up with Wilkerson and interviewed her. Wilkerson told police officers that she was heading to a domestic violence shelter and did not want to tell anyone in case her ex-husband would find her. The officials say that Wilkerson did not meet the requirements to be detained under the Florida Mental Health Act, which is also commonly known as the Baker Act. The officials explained that according to the law, authorities can detain individuals if they seem to be a threat to themselves. The officials also added that her children in the car also did not seem in distress.
After being interviewed by officers, Wilkerson drove to the Silver Beach along with her children. The eldest child says that Wilkerson told them to go to sleep as she was taking them to a better place.
Eye witnesses on the beach say that Wilkerson was driving her minivan erratically and her eldest child, who was sitting at the front seat, was also trying to stop Wilkerson. Bystanders say that all three children were scared, crying and screaming for help.
Wilkerson's vehicle stopped when it hit the waves and started to sink. More people and life guards rushed to the car to help the children and Wilkerson, who came out after rolling down the minivan's windows.
Authorities have determined that Wilkerson did not suffer from prior mental any health issues. She was also not under drug or alcohol influence when the incident occurred. Wilkerson is now charged with three counts of attempted murder, one for each child, as well as child abuse charges. She is being held in Volusia County jail pending a court appearance. On Saturday, Wilkerson appeared before the Volusia County Court Judge Shirley Green and her bail bond was set at $1.2 million. A date for her arraignment has not been released.
