A Georgia man is facing manslaughter charges in Florida. Sharef Omar Smith is in jail after failing to keep a toddler in his care safe. Despite being warned against it, Smith took the child to a hotel swimming pool. Allegedly intoxicated, the man fell asleep on the steps going up to the pool, and hotel staff found the toddler floating. When the toddler was discovered, the man refused to help, instead becoming belligerent. Now, he is in jail as his history of having alcohol issues has come to light.
On July 26, 2025, 40-year-old Sharef Omar Smith was arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter after a 3-year-old boy in his care drowned, WKMG reported. The boy was found floating in the deep end of the pool at a Quality Inn in Palm Bay, Florida.
Some sources claim Smith is the boy’s father, while others refer to him as the boy’s caretaker.
The toddler was discovered by a housekeeper who saw him floating in the pool through a window while she cleaned a third-floor room, according to court documents, per WKMG. She told police she ran to the pool and yelled at a man, who turned out to be Smith, to help. Smith was allegedly sleeping on the steps of the pool and did not wake up.
“Grab the baby!” she yelled, trying to get Smith’s attention, FOX 35 Orlando reported.
The woman, who did not know how to administer CPR, pulled the little boy, who has only been identified by his initials, KS, out of the pool. Documents say she began hitting his chest and trying to open his mouth in an attempt to get the boy to breathe.
Again, she yelled at Smith to help. This time, he reacted, swearing at her. He then allegedly became hostile to hotel staff, first responders, and police, WKMG reported. When asked, Smith was uncooperative and wouldn’t tell police how the boy ended up in the pool.
The toddler was rushed to a hospital and then airlifted to another, but, sadly, he died. Later, the medical examiner determined that he died from drowning, according to Fox 35.
Video surveillance recovered by police showed the boy to be drowning for approximately 20 minutes while Smith slept. The housekeeper told police she saw a bottle of wine in a bag next to Smith at the pool. Another empty wine bottle was recovered in his room.
According to court documents, Smith had contacted the boy’s mother, asking where his swimsuit was, the Miami Herald reported. The woman allegedly told Smith not to take the boy to the pool, saying he was “irresponsible.” He hung up on her.
The mother told police that Smith had not been drunk when she left around 10 in the morning, but he was known to be a “heavy drinker.” Investigators said police overheard her yelling at him for being “drunk again” during a phone call.
Sharef Omar Smith is being held in jail with no bond, per WKMG. He also has an active DUI warrant in his home state of Georgia.
