A Bronx mother has been accused of leaving her seven-year-old daughter to drown in a pool and her five-month-old son alone in their room while she indulged in alcoholic beverages at the hotel bar.
Authorities are currently detaining Erica Baez, 41, without bail, on charges of second-degree manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child, in relation to an incident that occurred on January 13, 2022.
According to Suffolk County prosecutors, the deceased girl, named Katlyn, remained on life support for over a year following the incident and passed away on May 1.
Baez was staying at the Marriott Hotel in Melville with her boyfriend, her son, and her daughter Katlyn. Her boyfriend had left for work early on the day of the incident. According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Baez asked the hotel staff to open the indoor pool at about 3:30 pm. Despite being informed that no lifeguard was on duty and that she would need to stay and watch her child, Baez chose to visit the hotel bar instead.
According to prosecutors, the 41-year-old ate and drank at the bar while her daughter played unsupervised in the pool for around 30 minutes. Baez briefly checked on her child but then left her alone again to check on her son, who had also been left unattended in their room.
When she returned to the pool after having a second cocktail, Baez found her daughter floating in the water. Prosecutors claim that Baez did not immediately react, but rather took the time to remove her shoes and socks and set aside her phone before getting Katlyn out of the pool.
Upon the arrival of emergency medical service workers, Baez reportedly lied, saying that she had only left the girl unattended for five minutes, according to the DA’s office. The medical team was able to resuscitate the girl, but she suffered permanent brain damage due to a lack of oxygen. She had to rely on a ventilator and feeding tube for months until her eventual passing.
