A woman in Philadelphia faces charges for the death of her 5-month-old daughter, who died drowned in a spa tank of a hotel in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Diontae Nicole Beckett, 25, is accused of acting imprudently on May 11, when the baby died at the establishment located in Leacock Township.
Beckett appeared before a court on Wednesday and resigned from his preliminary hearing, according to the Lancaster County Prosecutor's Office. He faces charges of endangering the well-being of a minor and involuntary murder.
According to authorities, Beckett had been drinking alcohol during the day and took his daughter to swim during the afternoon before returning with her to the hotel room.
Prosecutors claim that he later placed the baby in a spa pond, where the minor ended up drowning.
Several hotel guests called 911 after finding the girl and tried to perform manoeuvres to save her life before emergency teams arrived.
Prosecutors said the security cameras of the establishment showed Beckett entering the hallway with the baby in his arms, who was apparently dead at the time.
During an interview with the police, Beckett would have admitted that he had been drinking for much of the day.
However, according to the authorities, he denied placing his daughter in the spa pond.
Investigators found photographs and videos stored on Beckett’s phone that, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, show the baby inside the bathtub.
Authorities also carried out a chemical stimulation test on the woman, which resulted in 0.149% blood alcohol concentration, according to prosecutors.
The woman was arrested and later released after paying a $100,000 bail.
His case will continue in the courts, where he will be charged with the charges related to the death of his daughter.
The charges filed by the prosecutor’s office will have to be determined during the trial and Beckett is presumed innocent as long as she is not found guilty.
