A mother faces child endangerment charges after two children were allegedly left unattended in a small kiddie pool in Norwalk in June, which led to an infant needing to be revived by a police officer before being taken to the hospital.
Carla Sanchez, 26, of Norwalk turned herself in on Tuesday on two counts of risk of injury to a minor, according to Sgt. Ryan Evarts of the Norwalk Police Department.
Evarts said officers responded to Sanchez’s home on June 12 on the report that a 1-year-old was unresponsive. Family members handed the child to the first officer on the scene who found that the boy was unconscious, limp and not breathing, according to Evarts.
Evarts said the officer acted quickly and relied on his training, turning the boy onto his stomach, holding the child at a downward angle and delivering firm back blows. The child then started vomiting water, which cleared his airway and allowed him to gasp for air, according to Evarts.
“Within moments, the child regained consciousness and began to cry,” Evarts said in a statement.
The child received further care from members of the Norwalk Fire Department and Norwalk EMS before being taken to Norwalk Hospital. Evarts said the boy made a full recovery.
A joint investigation into the incident was carried out by the Norwalk Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and the state Department of Children and Families. According to Evarts, the investigation found that the boy was one of two children left unattended in a small kiddie pool.
Police obtained a warrant for Sanchez’s arrest. Her bail was set at $50,000, and she is expected to face a judge on Sept. 9.