BRADENTON, FL — The mother of a 4-year-old who drowned at a pool party on Saturday night was intoxicated and had been looking at her phone for several minutes before she realized her daughter was missing, according to a report citing arrest records.
Rosette Pierrecius, 32, was arrested Sunday morning and charged with child neglect causing great bodily harm in connection with the drowning, according to Bradenton police, who said the investigation was ongoing.
The incident occurred shortly after 9 p.m. during a pool party at the Kendall Ridge Apartment Homes in the 300 block of 26th Avenue West, according to the police.
An arrest report obtained by WFLA said Pierrecius claimed she left the girl in the care of two other children while she stepped away to use the bathroom; however, security footage obtained by police showed the children were not told to watch her daughter and left the area while Pierrecius was gone.
According to the arrest report, the young girl used the steps to enter the pool while several people were nearby and not paying attention to her.
The girl spent 9 minutes at the bottom of the pool before someone spotted her, WFLA reported. The child was pronounced dead at a hospital despite attempts to revive her, police said.
According to the arrest report, Pierrecius told police she looked at her phone for several minutes before she realized her daughter was missing. She also told police she drank six beers at the party, and, hours after the incident, had a blood alcohol level of 0.124.
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