ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – A 22-year-old woman from Florida is being charged after her 3-year-old son drowned.
The Ormond Beach Police Department reported that the young boy, Azriyh, left his mother’s apartment without her knowledge early on Sunday morning. His body was found in a nearby retention pond after being missing for eight hours. The Ormond Beach Fire Department attempted to revive the boy but were unsuccessful.
Surveillance footage from a neighbor showed the toddler running past their door around 6:45 a.m. before heading towards the pond. The police report stated that Azriyh was holding what appeared to be a tablet in a blue case.
Myra Santiago, the boy’s mother, claimed that her son typically comes into her room around 6 a.m. to ask for his tablet and then goes back into his bedroom until he’s ready for breakfast. She didn’t notice he was missing until 1:45 p.m. when she saw crime scene tape.
Authorities claim that Santiago neglected to buy child-safe locks despite knowing that her son had previously escaped her apartment without supervision. Santiago claimed she didn’t have the funds, but officers found over $100 in cash on her dresser next to marijuana smoking pipes and multiple bottles of alcohol in the freezer.
The police report also stated that Santiago left her son alone in her apartment for four hours the previous night while she went to the Daytona Beach boardwalk with a friend.
Santiago messaged a neighbor on Facebook, asking them to lie to the police and say they watched Azriyh, but the neighbor denied the request and provided screenshots of the conversation.
“Can you tell the police you watched Aziryh last night… I came and got him from your place at 2 or 3,” the message stated.
Santiago was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and neglect of a child.
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