Teen thrown into Clinton River by intoxicated man

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Police say Frank Smoger, 48, of Mount Clemens threw the girl into the water while he was drunk.

A 13-year-old girl gets the scare of her life as she's thrown into a river by a complete stranger.

Now that man is in custody and his mother is speaking to FOX 2.

The teen was walking after dark with her older brother here along the boardwalk on the Clinton River near the Dickinson Bridge in downtown Mount Clemens.

"Out of nowhere, the individual picked her up and threw her into the river," said Macomb County Sheriff  Anthony Wickersham.

Her older brother quickly jumped in and pulled his sister out.

"When she was tossed into the river she struck her head on the docks," Wickersham said. "The suspect then just kept walking away. Her brother was able to get her out of the river safely. She had some minor injuries. They immediately called the sheriff's office."

Sheriff Deputies say they found 48-year-old Frank Smoger of Mount Clemens lying on the ground nearby, he was highly intoxicated.  He's been arraigned on felonious assault, a four-year felony.

But why would he do this?

"This is not like him to do something like this," Smoger's mother said. "His thing is to get drunk and fall asleep and that's it."

Frank Smoger's mother is at her wits end. She says her son's an alcoholic and has been drinking for years. Mom gave me her name but asked me not to use it on air. She says she feels horrible for what happened to the 13-year-old girl.

The teen will be okay but what happened, is not okay with Smoger's mother.

"It breaks my heart," she said. "I feel sorry for the person he hurt. That is just uncalled for. That's senseless, I don't know the reason behind it. Maybe we'll never know."

Frank Smoger remains in the Macomb County jail unable to post a $15,000 cash or surety bond.

"He had no rhyme or reason why he did that, we were just happy she wasn't seriously hurt," Wickersham said. "And that we were able to take him into custody."

His mom says his addiction to alcohol is so deeply rooted that the one place where he can't drink - jail  - may be the best medicine.

"It breaks my heart," she said. "My husband and I have tried to get him help, and to no avail."