A 2-year-old boy was found unresponsive in a hot tub days after he was returned to his family by Child Protective Services (CPS) workers.
Police are currently investigating the crime, and it’s possible the boy’s mother will be charged for his death.
According to CBS Detroit, the boy’s mother found the child face down in about 3 inches of water at her home on Avondale Street in Inkster, Mich.
It is unknown how long the boy was in the water before his mother found him, according to authorities.
“The mother is in custody at this time,” Lt. Jeff Twardzik told WWJ’s Mike Campbell. “We’re dealing with looking at all the angles as far as what we’re going to do with the prosecutor’s office, but the mother is in custody at this time.”
The boy’s mother reportedly called police around 7 p.m. on April 25. When emergency crews arrived at the scene, the child was still in the upstairs bathtub, according to CBS Detroit.
“My understanding is the Inkster Fire Rescue was able to get the child out,” Twardzik said. “They got the child out and started rescue procedures right at the scene.”
The boy, who was severely burned, was rushed to a local hospital. According to officials, more than 50 percent of his body was covered with burns.
Early April 26, officials confirmed the boy had died.
An adult male, along with three other children, were in the home when the incident occurred, CBS Detroit reports.
Officials have limited information on the boy’s removal from the family by CPS.
“Our understanding is there has been some issues with CPS in the past where the children have been placed on a basis where there was an investigation and they’ve been put back in the home recently,” Twardzik said. “We want to know all the answers. We have a lot of questions here that need to be answered right away.”
The investigation is ongoing.
