Pregnant Mom Who Drove Kids Into Ocean Blames Abusive Husband

The pregnant mom who drove a minivan with her three young children into the Atlantic ocean last week not only saw demons, but blamed her husband for allegedly abusing her.

According to the police report, released on Monday, one of the first things 32-year-old Ebony Wilkerson told a Daytona Beach safety officer who came to save her and the children was that she had suffered at the hands of her husband.

The pregnant mom — who made her first court appearance on Monday — is currently in jail and her bond was set at $1.2 million. Her children, ages three, nine, and 10 “are safe,” according to Department of Children and Families spokesman John Herrell, who says the agency is investigating the incident.

When Volusia County Safety Officers responded to the emergency call on last Tuesday, they found the minivan in the rough tide, quickly filling up with water, while good Samaritans — Tim Tesseneer and Stacy Robinson — were pulling all the occupants to safety.

Luckily the bystanders didn’t think twice and rushed to the scene to assist the family in danger.

The report says the rescuers helped to get the two older children out, but were having a difficult time with the three-year-old who was strapped in her booster seat.

The mom who drove her kids into the ocean waters was allegedly blocking the driver’s door and did nothing to help her children, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

During the dramatic rescue, Captain Scott Wise said he pulled the mom out of the car to get into the minivan and unbuckle the little girl. However, the door was stuck due to the crashing waves that were hitting the car and he handed her to another officer who was waiting by the open hatch.

Reports as to a possible motive are conflicted as Wilkerson’s sister said that she had been talking about “demons” and the pregnant North Carolina mom allegedly said she was afraid her husband would come after her in Florida.

Witnesses say the children were frantically screaming for help as the car was almost completely submerged.

“The two in the back seat was crying, with their arms out saying, ‘Our mommy’s trying to kill us, please help,'” Tesseneer told WESH.

One of the older children told police that their mother was “sleepwalking” and officers say the mom had a “blank” look on her face afterwards.

The 32-year-old mom was arrested for driving her minivan into the ocean and faces charges of attempted first-degree murder and child abuse. Her hearing was closed to the media and the judge issued a gag order preventing anyone involved with the case to speak about it publicly.

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[Image via WPBF]