TITUSVILLE, Fla. – A mother and her boyfriend were arrested Saturday after authorities say they failed to prevent a 1-year-old girl from drowning in a pool.
Officers with the Titusville Police Department said Amanda Paige Davis, 30 and Charner Leon Williams IV, 30 were arrested and both charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.
Officers said that Athena Blevins, who would have turned 2 on Feb. 19, was found by the couple’s roommate, unresponsive in the pool at their residence.
According to the arrest report, the homeowner heard yelling and called 911.
The roommate started to administer CPR until the Titusville Fire Department paramedics arrived and took over.
Officials said the Davis and Williams did not wake up until paramedics arrived.
Athena was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
“Detectives obtained a search warrant for the residence, which led to the discovery of a myriad of paraphernalia consistent with illegal drug use,” officers said.
Investigators added that the paraphernalia was easily accessible to the toddler.
Upon further investigation, officials found that the parents did not take proper precautions to keep the child safe.
According to the arrest report, Davis told detectives she and Williams had been awake all night until 4 or 5 a.m. and they last saw Athena asleep in her bed.
Detectives learned Athena had recently learned how to open the sliding door to the pool and her mother had not taken any measures to childproof the door to prevent her from getting out.
“No steps were put in place to prevent the toddler from having access to additional hazards, such as the swimming pool, and the roadway,” officers said.
Davis told authorities she and Williams are both recovering heroin addicts and have been sober for 60 days. Detectives said they found drug paraphernalia in the their bedroom including a glass pipe and a white powdery substance. Williams later admitted a small bag in his nightstand contained heroin.
The couple later told detectives they used heroin, cocaine and marijuana throughout the day prior to Athena’s drowning.
Davis and Williams were taken to the Brevard County Jail and are currently being held without bond. They are both charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.