ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The mother of a 1-year-old boy said she saw the warning signs before deputies say her ex-boyfriend attempted to drown their son Monday night in an Orange County apartment complex pool.
Wilkens Ordena, 29, attempted to drown a 1-year-old Monday night in a pool at an apartment complex by holding the infant between his thighs until witnesses could wrestle the victim away, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
The incident happened around 10:25 p.m. at the Lake Sherwood Apartments off Apopka Vineland Road, north of Colonial Drive, near Orlando.
The child's mother, Shantina Warren, told News 6 she and Ordena had been co-parenting over the past year or so and she ended things with Ordena in December. Ever since the breakup he's been different, Warren said.
"He did make a comment once before, he said, 'When me and you get into it, don’t bring him over here because I’ll end up hurting him,'" Warren said.
Warren said Ordena was upset with her when she asked Ordena's father to watch the boy Monday night.
"He was saying, 'I hope you doing the right thing, why you got him over here?' and all that stuff. 'You must be trying to play around and have fun time and throw him over there,'" Warren said Ordena told her.
Deputies said Ordena grabbed the boy and took him to the apartment's pool as he argued on the phone.
Fearing what Ordena might do, two family members followed him to the pool then jumped the fence and got in the water in case Ordena threw the child in, according to the report.
When Ordena threw the baby in, one of the family members caught the baby, cradled him and tried to get out of the water but Ordena jumped in and the two struggled over the baby, the affidavit said.
Deputies said Ordena held the baby between his thighs underwater and as that was happening, the other family member put Ordena in a choke hold long enough for someone to grab the boy and hand him to a bystander who'd heard the struggle and came to help.
The child was conscious when authorities arrived and did not appear to have any physical injuries but he was crying and vomiting, according to the affidavit.
Warren is encouraging others to always look for warning signs of domestic violence.
"I could have lost my baby," she said.
News 6 found records showing Ordena was arrested in 2014 for domestic assault. Child custody paperwork was filed last year.
Ordena is charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle and fleeing and eluding authorities.
On Tuesday, a judge ordered that Ordena be held without bond on the attempted murder charge and that he have no contact with family members, witnesses or anyone younger than18.
The bystanders who helped the family declined to speak about the incident publicly.
“We appreciate the offer and did what needed to be done and no recognition is required for doing what was right. With the investigation still going on we would not like to discuss details of our actions as this situation is still sensitive for the family,” they said in a statement.