Lawyer: Tampa Dad Acting Strange Before Tossing Daughter From Bridge
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TAMPA (CBSMiami) - A Tampa man accused of throwing his five year old daughter of a bridge leading to the Sunshine Skyway was reportedly acting strangely the day before.
Genevieve Torres, an attorney for John Jonchuck, said she met with him on Wednesday to discuss his custody case for his daughter Phoebe.
The following day, Jonchuck threw Phoebe off the bridge into Tampa Bay. Her body was recovered and taken to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Torres told investigators that Jonchuck referred to her as God and asked her to translate a bible in Swedish.
Phoebe's mother, Michelle Kerr, said she never thought Jonchuck would harm their daughter.
"I always called her my angel baby, from the first minute I petted her little nose when she came out of my stomach and now she really is my angel baby," said Kerr.
Jonchuck now faces a murder charge.
The family has a history with the Department of Children and Families. The report of Phoebe's death was the sixth report the agency has received in the last two and half years. According to DCF, other reports involving the family include Jonchuck reportedly smacking Phoebe in the face and Kerr being charged with cruelty to another child in 2008.
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