Woman Charged In Son's Hanging

A 3-year-old boy was hanged by his mentally ill mother in theirWest Side apartment early Monday after being returned to her custodyfor a third time by a state agency, police said.

Investigators said Joseph Wallace, of the 5100 block of WestNorth Avenue, had been hanged with an extension cord from a transomby his mother, Amanda Wallace, 27. She has a history of beating herchildren, mutilating herself and setting fires, authorities said.

The boy was returned home at the request of the IllinoisDepartment of Children and Family Services on Feb. 16 at a hearingbefore Juvenile Court Judge Alan Goldberg. Several other agencies agreed with the ruling.

"The …