Police: 11-year-old taken to hospital, mother suspected of throwing him from balcony in St. Paul

An 11-year-old boy is recovering after police say he was thrown from a balcony by his mother in St. Paul.

St. Paul police said officers were called to an apartment building near North Hampden Avenue and West Territorial Road at about 8:40 a.m. Monday on a report of an attempted suicide.

When officers arrived, they found an 11-year-old boy lying on the ground. Police said he was conscious and breathing but had obvious injuries consistent with falling.

The boy was transported to a hospital and is being treated for numerous broken bones. Fortunately, he's expected to survive.

Police said the boy was unable to tell officers how he wound up on the ground, but based on information obtained by officers, police believe his 33-year-old mother threw him off the balcony.

She was taken into custody for questioning. Police later told KSTP the woman was arrested and being held on suspicion of aggravated assault and malicious punishment of a child.

Police said they believe the boy's mother went into the child's bedroom, grabbed him out of his bunk and threw him over the fourth-floor balcony.

"These calls are tough, they're tough for our officers, they are tough for first responders, they are tough for the whole community because we all have people in our lives that are children, and when see someone who for whatever reason hurts them, it hurts us," said Steve Linders, a spokesperson for St. Paul Police.

There was also a 6-year-old boy and another woman in the apartment at the time, according to police.

Her motive at this time is unclear.