1-year-old dies after his parent admitted that she couldn’t see her children from the other room after fiIIing the tub based on her older child’s size and Ieaving them, only for the child to drown: police

Wisconsin – A Wisconsin parent, 28-year-old SeIena, is now facins felony charges after her 1-year-old baby, Usher, died after he was left unattended. The incident occurred earlier this week at the family’s residence in Wisconsin. 

The parent has been charged with one count of negIecting a child, resuIting in death. If convicted, she faces up to twenty five years in prison and a $100,000 fine. During her initial court appearance, Commissioner PhiIIips expressed the gravity of the situation, acknowledging the senselessness of the tragedy and the potential for similar accidents to occur elsewhere.

According to the criminal complaint, the parent had placed her two children, aged 1 year and 3 years, into the batthtub while she went to the kitchen to prepare meals and wash dishes. The water level in the tub was approximately four inches deep, reaching the younger child’s belly when seated. After about four minutes, her older child walked into the kitchen soaking wet. Upon returning to the bathroom, the parent found her baby floating face-up and unresponsive in the water.

The 28-year-old parent attempted CPR, and a neighbor assisted until emergency responders arrived. The child was rushed to Children’s Wisconsin hospital but was pronounced dead at 9:45 a.m. The Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation due to drowning.

In interviews with investigators, the woman admitted that she could not see the children from the kitchen and had filled the tub based on her 3-year-old’s size, without considering her 1-year-old’s developmental limitations. She acknowledged that she should have used less water for her baby’s safety and stated that she usually bathed her children separately. The parent also mentioned that she had been bathing the 1-year-old in the sink until recently.

At her initial court appearance, she was released on a $10,000 bond. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 30, 2025. As part of her release conditions, she is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children.

This incident underscores the critical importance of constant supervision of young children, especially in potentially hazardous situations like bathtubs. Wisconsin authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.