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1 child dead, 1 injured after apparently being thrown from bridge into lake; woman arrested

SHREVEPORT, La. — Authorities arrested a woman Friday in connection with the death of a child and injuries to another after investigators determined the children were thrown from a bridge into Cross Lake in northwest Louisiana, according to multiple reports.

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Police told KSLA that they responded just before 11 a.m. Friday to a report of a child in the water. Officials found a small child dead and rescued another who had injuries described by authorities as life-threatening, according to the news station.

The children’s ages and whether they were related were not immediately released.

Police in Shreveport put out a notice to area law enforcement officials after determining that the suspect was driving in a van that had a Texas license plate, KSLA reported. A police officer in nearby Waskom, Texas, stopped the vehicle after spotting it at a rest stop near the Texas-Louisiana state line, according to the new station.

Police spokeswoman Sgt. Angie Wilhite told KTBS-TV that investigators have gotten conflicting information about which bridge the children were thrown from, whether it was the Interstate 220 bridge or a lower bridge on South Lakeshore.

“There’s been conflicting statements, so we’re not going to say that happened until we know that happened,” Wilhite told the news station. “Putting bad information out there could be ... devastating to our case.”

Authorities initially searched Cross Lake for a third child who was believed to be in the water, according to KTBS and KSLA. However, officials later located the child and said that they are safe, KTBS reported.

“This is a tragedy,” Willhite told KSLA. “We ask for prayer for the family and children. Pray for law enforcement officers who’ve been out here all day, firefighters, dive teams – (it’s) been a multi-agency effort. There is no happy ending for this.”