A California mother is staring down the possibility of spending much of her life behind bars after prosecutors said she stayed on her phone while her toddler slipped into a backyard pool and drowned. The case has become a flashpoint in the debate over digital distraction, alcohol, and what society expects from parents when every second can mean the difference between life and death.
Investigators say the woman, identified in court records as Brassart, was drunk, focused on men she met through dating apps, and failed to act even after realizing her 2‑year‑old was in trouble. The child’s death, and the murder conviction that followed, is now being held up alongside other recent tragedies as a grim warning about what can happen when a caregiver’s attention is anywhere but on the water.
The Drowning That Shook Turlock
The fatal incident unfolded at a home in Turlock, where prosecutors said a 2‑year‑old girl wandered outside alone and ended up in the family’s swimming pool while her mother stayed inside. A local jury later found a Turlock mother guilty of second‑degree murder and felony child neglect in connection with the September death of her 2‑year‑old daughter, a verdict that signaled jurors believed her conduct went far beyond a tragic mistake. According to court summaries, the toddler was left unattended for a significant stretch of time before she entered the water, and by the time anyone reached her, efforts to save her life had failed, leaving the community stunned at how preventable the drowning appeared to be, as reflected in a detailed Turlock case summary.
In the separate but closely watched case involving Brassart, prosecutors said the pattern was even more disturbing. They argued that she knew her daughter, Daniellé, was outside near the pool but still chose to stay inside, drinking and scrolling through dating apps, while the child was left to fend for herself. That narrative of a parent prioritizing her phone and alcohol over basic supervision has driven much of the outrage, especially as more details have emerged about just how impaired she allegedly was and how little she did to help once things went wrong.
Allegations Of Alcohol, Dating Apps, And A Missed Rescue
From the start, investigators painted a picture of a mother whose judgment was badly compromised. Officers who responded to the drowning call said Brassart showed clear signs of impairment, prompting them to open a full criminal investigation into her daughter’s death and to document her behavior at the scene, according to Officers who later testified. A test taken shortly afterward at the death scene showed Brassart had a blood alcohol level of . 246 percent, a figure that prosecutors stressed was more than three times California’s legal driving limit and, in their view, completely incompatible with safe caregiving, as laid out in charging documents cited in a Brassart case report…