When most people think of drowning incidents involving children, they likely imagine them in a pool, a pond, or a lake. But drowning can happen in seconds with a small amount of water, such as in bathtubs. Recently, a Georgia mom was charged with murder in the drowning death of her 1-year-old daughter in their own home.
Ronica Jones, 27, of DeKalb County, Georgia, faces the felony charge after her toddler drowned during bath time. She has been accused of leaving the toddler unattended in the tub. Her family members, however, maintain the incident was an accident.
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Police responded to a call earlier this month.
On November 7, DeKalb County police responded to a call at roughly 7 p.m., Fox 5 Atlanta reported. First responders discovered the toddler (who remains unnamed in reports) unconscious and receiving medical aid at the Stone Mountain, Georgia, home. They took the little girl to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Ronica Jones was arrested initially on a cruelty to children charge.
Investigators accused Jones of leaving her toddler daughter unsupervised in the bathtub, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. Initially, she was arrested for second-degree cruelty to children. Jones was taken to Dekalb County Jail, said a representative for the DeKalb County Police Department.
The Georgia mom has since been charged with murder.
Police elevated the charge against Jones to murder after her daughter died on November 11, just days after the drowning incident, WSB-TV reported. She has since bonded out on the murder charge. Reportedly, Jones is “prepared to fight because she has another child to take care of.”
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The incident is still under investigation.
“The case involving Ronica Jones is still in the early stages,” the Dekalb County District Attorney’s Office noted in a statement to WSB-TV. According to the statement, the office “will review the facts and conduct a follow-up investigation before making a final charging decision and presenting the case to the grand jury.”
Jones' father maintains the drowning was an accident.
Ronica’s father, Ronald Jones, told WSB-TV that the drowning was an accident. He explained that the 1-year-old slipped and fell into the tub while Ronica turned to get a towel.
“They know that she didn’t do anything to the baby,” Ronald told the news outlet. “She loved that baby.”
