Two good Samaritans helped Lakeland Police retrieve a woman and a 2-year-old child from a lake Sunday after the woman left the scene of a crash and walked into the lake carrying the child.

  • Laquisha Mosley, 21, took child from her aunt's home
  • Mosley later involved in crash on I-4 ramp from Memorial Boulevard
  • Good Samaritans followed Mosley into the water, rescued child

Witnesses said after Laquisha Mosley, 21, got into a minor accident on the ramp to I-4 from Memorial Boulevard, she jumped out of her car holding a toddler. She then ran down an embankment and dropped the child over a fence.

Resident Angi Whitaker heard screams from her back yard and ran through some brush to get to Mosley, who was heading toward a lake.

“She ran down in the water with the baby in her arms and that baby is a screaming," said Whitaker. "And she just run down there and jumped in. and I’m like 'my lord Jesus.'”

Whitaker told us she then followed Mosley into the water.

“And I got in the water about knee deep and I’m [like] 'Let me help you get out of there,' and she’s cussing and talking all kinds of nasty and carrying on.”

At that point, Whitaker told us another witness entered the water to help Whitaker rescue the toddler.

“He grabbed her arms and said 'grab the child, grab the baby, grab the baby,'" said Whitaker. "He grabbed her arms, and I grabbed the baby and snatched him out and pulled him up this way and he was trying to subdue her.”

Whitaker said that's when Lakeland Police arrived on the scene and took Mosley into custody.

Whitaker told us she was just happy she could help. Her husband Danny described her actions as far more.

“I just think it’s amazing," said Danny. "I think she’s a hero."

Mosley is currently at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Lakeland Police have charged her with leaving the scene of an accident and child endangerment, though more charges may follow.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office is also investigating the case as it may relate to child abuse charges.