No Charges Against Mom in Baby Boy's Bathtub Drowning: DA

The baby's death marks the second time in a week a Brooklyn child drowned in a bathtub

Prosecutors are declining to pursue charges against the mother of an 11-month-old boy who apparently drowned in a Brooklyn bathtub.

Angelica Huertas, 24, had been arrested on charges of endangering the welfare of a child earlier Tuesday, but the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office said later that it was declining to prosecute.

Prosecutors determined the death was "tragic and accidental."

Huertas left the room when her 11-month-old son Elijah Pardella and 3-year-old daughter were in the bathtub Sunday afternoon. When Huertas returned, Pardella was under water and not breathing. His sister was fine.

According to The New York Post, the mother had unplugged the drain before she left the room, but the baby boy sat on it, preventing the water from escaping the tub.  

The boy was pronounced dead at Brookdale Hospital.

It was the second time in a week a Brooklyn child has died in a bathtub. On Thursday, a 5-year-old girl drowned in a bathtub in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Law enforcement sources described her death as a tragic accident.

Get the latest from NBC 4 New York anytime, anywhere. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Sign up for email newsletters here. Get breaking news delivered right to your phone -- just text NYBREAKING to 639710. For more info, text HELP. To end, text STOP. Message and data rates may apply.

Contact Us