A mother from the Bronx has allegedly let her 7-year-old daughter drown in a hotel pool, while leaving her 5-month-old baby in the room alone. And while her daughter drowned, she was drinking at the bar.
Erica Baez (41) is being held without bail on a second-degree manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child charges, after the horrific incident took place at a Marriott Hotel in Melville.
Katlyn died on May 1st after spending over a year on life support.
Baez was staying at the hotel with her boyfriend, her 5-month-old son, and Katlyn when her boyfriend left early for work.
She had asked hotel staff to open the indoor pool around 3:30PM, workers had warned there was no lifeguard on duty and she'd have to stay with her child.
Baez decided instead to head to hotel bar where she ate and drank an alcoholic cocktail while her daughter played in the pool alone for 30 minutes.
She had left to check on her daughter but left her alone again to check on her infant, who she had alsoo left alone.
She then went for a second cocktail, leaving her daughter for over 30 minutes, before returning to the pool and finding her "floating lifeless in the pool."
Instead of jumping straight in, she took the time to take off her shoes and socks, and put her phone aside before pulling her daughter out of the water.
Upon the arrival of EMS workers, Baez lied telling them she'd only left her alone for five minutes.
The EMTs were able to revive the child, but she was left with irreversible brain damage from the lack of oxygen and was forced to live on a ventilator and feeding tube for two months.
She passed away on May 1st after becoming septic.
Baez was arrested on May 15th, and has been charged with second-degree manslaughter and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
She has pleaded not guilty.
“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.”
She is expected back in court on May 24th.
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