Authorities in Florida confirmed a young girl has died after someone threw her into a body of water in the Tampa area this week.

According to Spectrum Bay News 9, authorities were notified of an emergency at the Hillsborough River along Columbus Drive on Thursday afternoon.

Tampa police and and a trained diving team arrived at the scene at about 4:30 p.m. and recovered the girl’s body from under the water about 75 feet from the shore.

The 4-year-old was reportedly transported to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Though reports indicate a woman, believed to be the victim’s mother, was arrested, Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan said he could offer few additional details about the suspected crime.

“Unfortunately at this point there are more questions than there are answers,” he said.

According to Dugan, the female suspect was walking a short distance from the scene when police located and arrested her.

A police statement on the matter only confirmed that a suspect had been apprehended.

“She is in custody, but has provided little information at this point,” the agency reported.

Dugan confirmed that authorities are collecting statements from individuals who were at the scene on Thursday.

“We have a few witnesses that called us,” he said. “They were kind of shaken up.”

Police believe the suspect drove to the scene of the girl’s death and had been focused on a gray Nissan parked in the area with a pair of small shoes underneath, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.

[Featured image: Pixabay]