A woman holding her baby boy jumped out of the window of an eight-story apartment building on Wednesday. The mother died, but the baby survived the fall, police said, according to a Yahoo report.

Cynthia Wachenheim was found on the street with 10-month old Keston near her arms. The baby was taken to the hospital and is reportedly in critical condition.

A seven-page suicide note was found under Wachenheim's bed, stating that she knew her action would be "evil," but that she was worried about her child's development, an official said.

Wachenheim was married with an only child- it was unknown whether the baby had mental or physical issues.

According to surveillance cameras, Wachenheim's husband had left the West Harlem apartment about an hour before the woman made the plunge. The window was open with no safety bars.

Yahoo reported that West Harlem resident Steven Dominguez witnessed the fall - the 18-year old was walking to the grocery store with his mother when the incident took place. He said the baby bounced off the woman's body, which probably broke some impact of the fall, before hitting the ground.

"I heard a scream like a yell," Dominguez said, according to the report. "When I got closer, I saw the baby crying."

He said the baby was face down.

"I was shocked," he said. "I couldn't believe it."

Resident Yaa Dwamena, 32, a fellow neighbor, lived in Wachenheim's building said she'd known the woman for several years, saying she was "nice, friendly," and "very warm."

Dwamena saw her neighbor just last week and didn't suspect any suspicious behavior.

"I wouldn't have thought anything was wrong with her," she said. "They were a happy-looking family. I wouldn't think anything like this would happen."

Wachenheim was a law school student at Columbia University. She worked in state Supreme Court in Manhattan doing legal research for judges, court officials said.