31-year-old mother placed “in isolation and on suicide watch” after her 1-year-old son drowned to death while in her care because she was distracted on her phone for nearly 15 minutes; charged
Arkansas – In a shocking incident out of Arkansas, a 31-year-old mother, identified as C. Newsom, has been charged after her 1-year-old son drowned in a bathtub while she was allegedly distracted on her phone for nearly fifteen minutes. Authorities say the tragedy unfolded inside their home in early September, exposing a moment of neglect that ended with the death of an infant and a mother now under suicide watch.
Newsom faces one count of felony manslaughter for recklessly causing the death of her child, along with two counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a minor. Police allege that her inattention directly led to her son’s drowning while he was in her care.
According to court documents, officers with the police department responded on September 7 to the home following a report of an unresponsive infant. When first responders arrived, they found Newsom on the bathroom floor performing CPR on her 1-year-old. Medics took over emergency care and rushed the child to a nearby hospital, where doctors fought to save his life. Despite their efforts, the little boy was pronounced dead six days later, on the evening of September 13. The tragedy prompted an immediate investigation, and Newsom was soon questioned about the events that led to the drowning.
During her initial interview, Newsom told officers that she had only stepped away “for approximately 60 to 90 seconds” to grab an item from another room. She claimed that when she returned, she found her son “laying on his back with water over his lips and nose,” and that she immediately pulled him out of the tub and began CPR.
However, a second interview revealed a much different account—one that painted a clearer and more tragic picture of what really happened that morning. Newsom reportedly admitted that she had been gone for far longer than she first stated. “I then text my mom and thought I had only been out of the room for a minute but I lost track of time cause I was gone for 14 minutes. The reason I know this is because I text my mom the first time at 7 a.m. and called her when I found my son at 7:14 a.m.” Investigators determined that the timeline was consistent with her phone records. What began as a brief distraction had stretched into nearly fifteen minutes—enough time for the unsupervised toddler to drown.
A warrant for Newsom’s arrest was issued on October 8. She was taken into custody three days later, on October 11, and appeared before Judge D. Boling on October 15. The judge set her bond at $15,000, which she later posted. While in the county jail, Newsom was reportedly placed “in isolation and on suicide watch,” according to a reports. Those close to her said she had been struggling emotionally since the death of her son and the filing of the criminal charges.
The case continues to draw public attention, both for its devastating circumstances and for the painful reminder it carries about how a few moments of inattention can lead to irreversible loss. Newsom is scheduled to return to court on November 25 for her formal arraignment. If convicted of felony manslaughter, she faces a potential prison sentence that could span several years. For investigators and first responders who worked the case, the scene remains unforgettable—a silent bathroom, a motionless child, and a mother realizing the consequences of a mistake she can never undo.
