ALEJANDRO RIPLEY

Taxpayer dollars will help cover the defense costs for a Florida woman charged with first-degree murder in the drowning death of her autistic 9-year-old son.

MIAMI A Miami woman accused of drowning her 9-year-old autistic son in a canal pleaded not guilty to murder charges at a Friday hearing. Ripley faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, aggravated child abuse and filing a false police report. Prosecutors have filed a notice to seek a grand jury indictment for first-degree murder, but grand juries have been suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic. Under Florida law, only someone who is indicted by a grand jury can receive the death penalty. The boys body was pulled out of a golf course canal the next morning as police continued to interrogate the woman.

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. 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. Miami-Dade County Court records show Patricia Ripley is set to appear in court for an arraignment hearing at 9 p.m., June 12th.

Alejandro Ripley was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The witnesses helped detectives find surveillance video showing a woman who detectives identified as Patricia Ripley, 45. Detectives grew suspicious when surveillance video showed she was in her car for about 15 minutes before she reported the fake abduction. When detectives confronted Patricia Ripley with the evidence, she said Alejandro was in a better place, according to the arrest report. Patricia Ripley faces charges of first-degree murder and premeditated attempted murder.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A Miami-Dade medical examiner confirmed Monday that 9-year-old Alejandro Ripley drowned last week. “Usually you grab them, yank them out and away you go.”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 man said he didn’t think anything nefarious was going on when he saw the boy Thursday night sitting in the canal. The witness said Alejandro was sitting in the water that was chest high. Police said Ripley took her son to another canal and led him into the water to drown about an hour after that incident.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Nine-year-old Alejandro Ripley is dead. And in a sinister twist, detectives and prosecutors are accusing his mother, Patricia Ripley, of killing him in southwest Miami-Dade County. Patricia Ripley arrives to TGK early Saturday morning after detectives arrested her. Fernandez Rundle said Patricia Ripley waited in her parked car for more than 15 minutes before lying about the abduction. “The vehicle then blocked her.”The mother said the men ambushed her at Southwest 158th Avenue and Southwest 88th Street.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Detectives on Friday afternoon were going in and out of the family home of a 9-year-old autistic boy who was found dead after police say he was abducted Thursday night in The Hammocks. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement canceled an Amber Alert for Alejandro Ripley on Friday morning, saying his body had been found. Miami-Dade County police say they’re operating under the assumption that the body is that of Ripley. The area is just four miles away from where Alejandro was allegedly abducted in Southwest Miami-Dade. The car then blocked her as a passenger got out of the car, ambushing Ripley and demanding drugs from her, authorities said.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. Detectives on Friday afternoon were going in and out of the family home of a 9-year-old autistic boy who was found dead after police say he was abducted Thursday night in The Hammocks. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement canceled an Amber Alert for Alejandro Ripley on Friday morning, saying his body had been found. Miami-Dade County police say theyre operating under the assumption that the body is that of Ripley. The area is just four miles away from where Alejandro was allegedly abducted in Southwest Miami-Dade. The car then blocked her as a passenger got out of the car, ambushing Ripley and demanding drugs from her, authorities said.