Parent claims she decided to let her 1-year-old baby and his toddIer sibIing play by Ieaving them all aIone, admitting she could not see them from the other room, only for the younger to drwn: police

Wisconsin – A Wisconsin parent, 28-year-old S. Doxson, was taken into custody and later charged with negIecting a chiId resuIting in death following the tragic drwning of her child, Asheer, last week. The incident occurred at the family’s residence in Wisconsin.

According to the criminal complaint, the parent placed her two children, aged 3 and 1, into the tub while she went to another room to prepare meaIs and do other chores. The water level in the tub was approximately 4 inches, reaching the 1-year-old baby’s belly when seated. After about four minutes, the older child walked into the room where the mother was soaking wet.

The defendant then returned to the bathroom and found her baby floating face-up and unresponsive in the water. She immediately began screaming for help, and a neighbor rushed to assist, performing CPR until emergency responders arrived. Despite efforts to revive him, the 1-year-old was pronounced dead at Children’s Wisconsin hospital at 9:45 a.m.

The Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy, which determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation due to drowning. The final ruling is pending toxicology and histology results. Investigators noted that the parent admitted she could not see the bathroom from the other room and acknowledged that she should have used less water in the bathtub for her son’s safety. She also stated that she usually bathed her sons separately and had only recently started bathing the 1-year-old in the tub instead of the sink.

The parent was charged with neglecting a child resulting in death, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. During her initial court appearance, Commissioner PhiIIips expressed that the case was “sad,” “scary,” and “senseless,” emphasizing that the tragedy could have been prevented. The parent was released without bail but was ordered to have no unsupervised contact with children while awaiting trial.

The woman reportedly told police that she chose to let the children play in the bathtub, leaving them in the bathroom while she went to the kitchen to prepare pancakes and sausage, which usually take two to three minutes. After the food was cooked, she started washing the dishes. She was in the kitchen cooking and cleaning for about four minutes when her 3-year-old son came into the kitchen soaking wet.

The community has been deeply affected by the loss of young baby. Local residents have expressed their condolences and concerns over child safety in the home. Wisconsin authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, and further legal proceedings are expected in the coming weeks.