Mom charged in daughter’s drowning after leaving baby in room and 7-year-old in pool while drinking at hotel bar.

Bronx Mother Charged with Manslaughter After Daughter Drowns in Hotel Pool

A Tragic Incident

A Bronx mother, Erica Baez, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child after her 7-year-old daughter drowned in a pool while the mom drank alcohol at a hotel bar. The incident occurred on January 13, 2022, at a Marriott Hotel in Melville, New York. Baez allegedly left her 5-month-old baby alone in the hotel room and her 7-year-old alone in the pool as she ate and drank.

The Details

Baez had been staying at the hotel with her boyfriend and two children. The boyfriend had left for work in the morning, and around 3:30 p.m., Baez allegedly asked hotel staff to open the indoor pool so her daughter, Katlyn, could swim. Workers warned the mother that there was no lifeguard on duty and that she’d have to stay with her daughter.

Baez allegedly left her daughter to go to the hotel bar, where she consumed an alcoholic cocktail, leaving her daughter alone in the pool for 30 minutes, according to prosecutors. Baez went to check on her daughter but again left her alone when she returned to their room to check on the baby, who had also been left alone. Baez then allegedly returned to the hotel bar and had a second cocktail, leaving her daughter in the pool again for another 30 minutes. This time, when Baez went to check on the girl, she found her “floating lifeless in the pool,” according to the district attorney.

The Aftermath

But prosecutors alleged that Baez didn’t leap into the pool to try to save her daughter. Instead, she allegedly removed her shoes and socks and secured her phone before taking Katlyn out of the pool. First responders soon arrived, and Baez allegedly lied to them, saying she had only left Katlyn for five minutes. Katlyn was in cardiac arrest and had no pulse. EMTs revived Katlyn, but she was left with irreversible brain damage due to lack of oxygen. She had to be placed on a ventilator and feeding tube for two months following the incident.

Katlyn died on May 1, 2023, after spending more than a year on life support. She had become septic.

The Charges

Baez was arrested on May 15 and charged with second-degree manslaughter and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child for her actions. On Tuesday, she pleaded not guilty.

Justice for Katlyn

“The alleged actions of this defendant were selfish, senseless and heartless,” District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a statement. “We are going to do everything we can to ensure that justice is served for little Katlyn, whose short life ended too soon.”

Takeaway

This tragic incident serves as a reminder of the importance of responsible parenting and the dangers of neglecting children. Let us all strive to be more vigilant and attentive to the needs of our children, and to never take their safety for granted.