A 21-year-old mother was arrested on Thursday after her 1-year-old drowned in a Texas apartment bathtub in January, according to an arrest affidavit.
Victoria Tristan, was charged with injury to a child, a first-degree felony, after she left the child unattended in the bathtub, the affidavit said.
Tristan Fell Asleep While Texting, Watching YouTube
Tristan told officers she placed the child in the tub and washed her off with the water running. A few minutes later, Tristan walked away, sat on a bed and began texting with a family member. Then, she leaned over to rest her head, falling asleep for a few minutes, the affidavit said.
When she woke up, Tristan said she went straight to the bathroom, where the bathtub was full of water. Tristan removed the child from the tub and attempted CPR, but the child wasn't responsive, the document said. An officer responded to the Round Rock home three minutes after she called 911.
According to the affidavit, cell phone data showed Tristan texting for five minutes before an eight-minute gap in activity. Then, Tristan searched YouTube before calling 911 four minutes later. The first officer arrived at the apartment three minutes later.
Child's Death Ruled as Accidental Drowning
The Travis County Medical Examiner decided the cause of death was drowning and ruled it an accident, the affidavit said. The affidavit said Tristan knowingly, by omission, caused serious bodily injury when she left the child unattended in the bath.
Tristan is in custody at Williamson County jail as of Thursday night. Her bond has been set at $300,000. An attorney for Tristan wasn't available at the time of this report. This is a developing story and will be updated if more information becomes available.
