Dad played video game as forgotten baby drowns in tub, police say
Joel Shannon
An Alabama man has been charged with reckless manslaughter after a drowning death of his five-month-old son at a home in Birmingham on Sunday.
Cordarius Cotton, 23, allegedly placed the infant in a bathtub and left the room, according to a press release published Tuesday. Cotton told police he turned on the water, left to play a video game and forgot about the baby for an hour.
When Cotton returned, he found that the child was unresponsive, he told police, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
Medics transported the boy to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police say.
The child's mother was not home at the time of the incident, AL.com reports. Other children who live at the home were placed in the care of a grandmother, the site says.
"This was a heart-wrenching case for all involved including our personnel. God Bless this family and this little boy," Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Randy Christian said.
Cotton remains in jail with a $15,000 bond, police said Tuesday.
Contributing: The Associated Press.