Jessy Paola Moreno Cruz, a 32-year-old single mother from Ibagué, Colombia, and her 10-year-old son, May Ceballos, left the whole world reeling in shock after Moreno jumped off a 330-foot bridge holding her son, according to Mirror Online. On February 7, 2019, reports broke claiming that the mother and son had jumped off the La Variante Bridge, in the community area of Tolima, Ibagué. Along with the report, a video also made the rounds, capturing the fateful moment the distressed mother decided to jump from the bridge while holding her son, as onlookers and emergency responders tried to stop her from ending their lives. Reports suggest that the mother was undergoing financial stress and had been kicked out of her home without adequate resources money to rent a new house.
Despite the pleas from several people around them, the pair, unfortunately, plummeted to their deaths. In the video, after a few moments of trying to negotiate with the single mother, a rescuer can be heard exclaiming, "Oh my God, she threw herself off!" Immediately, another emergency responder breaks down in complete shock after what he witnessed. As per a local news media outlet, the son also pleaded with her to reconsider her decision as he was heard begging, "Mom, please don't jump."
It was also reported that Cruz's financial situation was terrible, and after being evicted from their home, the mother and son were homeless for a while. It is believed that the mother chose this drastic step as a means to escape the situation they were in. The mayor of Ibagué, Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo, believes that Cruz's decision to kill herself and her son was a result of the poor economic and political situation in Colombia at the time. He stated, "The incident has a lot to do with the terrible situation we are facing in Ibagué and all over Colombia." The desperate mother is said to have left a note behind, according to Mirror Online.
The note revealed Cruz was being threatened by loan sharks and felt she had "failed" her boy. “I cannot tolerate the idea that somebody could hurt you because of what I did, I prefer that we leave and forget this world," she wrote. “I have no hope, I have been defeated and humiliated. The man who told me he loved me left me alone, very alone. They all left me with nothing, everything I worked for, everything I lived for, all I loved, all I gave, it was snatched away in an instant. My mistake was to trust the wrong people. I failed the person I love most in my life, I cannot afford to pay for his studies, I do not even have enough money to give him hot food. I have placed him in danger and I am sorry for failing you, son."
“Every day is more difficult and filled with threats, debt, and lack of love. I cannot do it anymore. I will be told I am a coward, but only God knows the distress of being terrified that someone will hurt you because of me. If only somebody could help me, but who can lend me the money or even a home? There is nobody. The world is dangerous and I cannot protect you. Every day is grey. My heart beats with anxiety. I cry with frustration and impotence. I am a loser. This time I will not fail you, my son. Nobody will hurt us anymore.” The bodies of the mother and son were recovered from the bottom of the lake and a joint funeral took place, which was attended by loved ones.
