Sitter Distracted By Baking Arrested In Connection To Baby Boy Who Died Week After Nearly Drowning In Tub: Cops

A woman who was babysitting in Arizona was placed under arrest following the death of a 1-year-old boy involved in a near-drowning incident while recently in her care, police said.

Cynthia Gaddy, 49, currently faces charges of child neglect in connection to the June 16 incident in El Mirage, AZ Family reported.

According to the outlet, around 8:30 that evening, Gaddy allegedly told police she left the boy and his 3-year-old sibling in the bathtub while it was filling with water because she needed to “attend to a smelly diaper nearby.”

While away from the children, Gaddy, who was baking at the time, heard a timer sound so she also went to the kitchen, WILX reported. According to police, when she returned to the bathroom, water was overflowing into the master bedroom and the young boy was facedown and unresponsive in the tub.

Gaddy phoned 911, and emergency responders successfully revived the baby, and the boy was rushed to an area hospital before he was airlifted to a second medical facility in critical condition.

The baby died on June 24 in connection with injuries he sustained in the near-drowning.

The 3-year-old as well as a second sibling, age 7, also present in the home when the bathtub incident occurred, were both uninjured, according to AZ Family.

Arturo Munoz, a parent who knew Gaddy, told the outlet that she watched his children multiple times after he found her through a Facebook group.

“I would never badmouth her. She was a very nice lady, good woman, honest, her house was clean,” Munoz said. “A couple of those kids I knew practically lived there. Every time I showed up, they were there in the morning, night. I think a lot of those kids consider her their grandma because they’ve known her so long. She says some of those kids have been with her since they were one or two.”

The investigation into the baby’s death continues, authorities said.