Mother admits to taking ‘me time’ outside as infant son drowned in a bathtub. Now, she'll head to prison.
A Tennessee mother admitted to taking "me time" outside as her infant drowned in a bathtub. It's time that will now require her to serve time.
Lindsee Leonardo, 34, pleaded guilty to reckless homicide and child endangerment on Aug. 12 in Knox County Criminal Court. Originally charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, she must now serve four years behind bars.
In January 2020, Leonardo told investigators she put the baby boy, Aiden Xavier Leonardo, and her 23-month-old daughter in a bathtub filled with around 4 to 6 inches of water, an arrest warrant states.
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The mother then said she went outside to smoke, listen to some music and take around 10 minutes of “me time,” police said.
When she returned to the bathroom, Leonardo discovered her older child had turned the water on and filled the tub. The infant was unresponsive and floating on his back, while the toddler was able to stand up.
The infant was later pronounced dead at East Tennessee Children's Hospital.
The children’s father, David Brandon, said Leonardo isn’t to blame for what he called an “accident.”
“She’s just awesome as a mother. I don’t want to see her in prison, she does not deserve to be there,” Brandon told WATE-TV last year. “She’s a really loving and caring person. She really is."
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