The 53-year-old woman who allegedly threw a 2-year-old boy off a seventh floor balcony, killing him, underwent psychological evaluation yesterday, delaying her arraignment. According to the Wall Street Journal, doctors are determining whether Xiao Cai is fit to stand trial. In the meantime, little Jerry Zhou's mother is apparently so devastated by her son's death that she can't bear to return to the Flushing apartment where the tragedy occurred.
Xiao Cai and her daughter lived with the little boy's parents, Yun Xu and Jian Zhou, in the Zhou family's apartment (Cai's daughter and Yun Xu work with each other at a supermarket). Assemblywoman Grace Meng told the Daily News what she learned from the grieving parents:
Cai and her daughter had been arguing periodically for the last week, Meng said. Another argument between the two flared up on Tuesday night, but it did not involve Jerry, a law enforcement source said.
The heartbroken mother said she had asked Cai and the daughter to stop arguing as she cooked in the kitchen, Meng said.
"She didn't say what the argument was about, but she kept going in and telling them to stop fighting," Meng said. "Her son was watching cartoons and holding his favorite blanket that he had gotten from China."
When the mother returned to the room, her son was gone.
Cai has been described as having a history of depression and having been institutionalized in the past. The Post reports, "Blood still stained the sidewalk where the toddler hit after his 70-foot plunge shortly after 8:30 p.m. The boy's father, Jian, was planning to mark the spot with candy because Jerry had asked his father to bring him some sweet treats."
