03-10-2011, 08:04 PM
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- A 23-year-old Colorado Springs mother faces felony charges for allegedly leaving her two young children in a bathtub where one was scalded and drowned.
At about 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, police responded to an apartment on S. Chelton Road after getting a 911 call for an unconscious 9-month-old boy. Paramedics could not revive him.
Police say the child’s mother, Estella Toleafoa, left the boy and his 2-year-old brother in the bathtub while she visited a nearby convenience store and restaurant.!
The infant, identified as Erich Tyler Jr., suffered severe burns from bath water over most of his body.
“The El Paso County Coroner's Office has completed an autopsy and determined the cause of death was due to scalding and drowning,” Colorado Springs Police said.
Toleafoa was arrested Wednesday and booked on a felony charge of Child Abuse Recklessly Causing Death to a Child.
Police say Erich’s father was out of state at the time of the incident.
At about 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, police responded to an apartment on S. Chelton Road after getting a 911 call for an unconscious 9-month-old boy. Paramedics could not revive him.
Police say the child’s mother, Estella Toleafoa, left the boy and his 2-year-old brother in the bathtub while she visited a nearby convenience store and restaurant.!
The infant, identified as Erich Tyler Jr., suffered severe burns from bath water over most of his body.
“The El Paso County Coroner's Office has completed an autopsy and determined the cause of death was due to scalding and drowning,” Colorado Springs Police said.
Toleafoa was arrested Wednesday and booked on a felony charge of Child Abuse Recklessly Causing Death to a Child.
Police say Erich’s father was out of state at the time of the incident.