Dad charged in drowning death of 3-month-old daughter (Lubbock, Texas)

Dad is identified as MICHAEL LIVESAY.

http://www.kcbd.com/story/30202255/lubbock-father-indicted-charged-in-drowning-death-of-3-month-old-daughter

Lubbock father indicted, charged in drowning death of 3-month-old daughter

Posted: Oct 06, 2015 9:00 PM EST Updated: Oct 06, 2015 9:00 PM EST
By KCBD Staff

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - 27-year-old Michael Livesay has been indicted on felony charges of injury to a child after the drowning death of his daughter Vera.

Emergency crews were called out to the 6100 block of 37th Street just after 10:45 a.m. on Sept. 23 in reference to a possible drowning. The infant was taken by ambulance to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

According to the arrest warrant, Livesay says he woke up with his daughter at 8 a.m. Wednesday and around 8:45 a.m. placed her in the bathtub in a bathtub seat before turning the water on.

Livesay says he scooted the infant toward the drain so the water was on her feet.

Livesay says he left the bathroom with the water still running. He says he then sat on the couch in the living room around 9 a.m. but fell asleep while Vera was alone in the bathtub. Around 9:15 a.m., Livesay woke up and realized Vera was still in the bathtub.

Livesay says he found his daughter face down in the bathtub full of water. He says the bathtub was two inches from overflowing. He grabbed Vera and ran to a neighbor's house, but says no one would help call 911. So, he ran back to his house and performed CPR on Vera for five minutes.

Livesay then called 911. Livesay told investigators at the scene that he had smoked marijuana on Tuesday. Livesay says this was the second time he had accidentally left Vera in the bathtub. The previous incident happened on September 18. He says the incident on Friday happened because he went to make coffee and had a towel stopping the drain. He says he saw the bathtub seat begin to rise in the water and got Vera out.

No other children were home at the time.