LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A mother is facing several charges after deputies say she drove herself and her son into the ocean.
Deputies say it happened Tuesday afternoon along the A-span beach on the Sanibel Causeway when a mom intentionally drove her SUV into the water with her son still inside.
According to the arrest report, when deputies got there, they found 43-year-old Amarlyn Buccieri of Cape Coral in her Toyota RAV4, submerged in the water around 50 feet away from the shore.
The report indicates before that, Buccieri parked on the beach, stared at the water and suddenly floored the gas pedal.
Deputies say her son opened the door before they got too deep in the water so he could get out, and good Samaritans helped the boy to safety.
The report indicates his mother then tried to drag him back into the water, but people in the area rescued him a second time.
The mother has been arrested and is facing charges of child neglect, cruelty toward child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Detectives are still investigating the motive.