BROOKLAND, ARKANSAS — A 31-year-old Arkansas mother is facing felony manslaughter and child endangerment charges after police say she left her 1-year-old son alone in a bathtub for 14 minutes while texting her own mother. The boy drowned before emergency crews could save him.
According to the Brookland Police Department, Courtney Marie Newsom was arrested earlier this month following a weeks-long investigation into the September 7 drowning at her apartment in the Logan Street and Wagner Place complex.
Investigators say Newsom initially claimed she left the bathroom for only “a minute or two,” but later admitted she had been distracted by messages and lost track of time.
Police: Mother Admitted She ‘Lost Track of Time’ While Texting
Officers arrived at Newsom’s residence after receiving a report of an unresponsive child. They found her performing CPR on her son before paramedics rushed him to a nearby hospital. Despite medical efforts, the boy was pronounced dead on September 13…