Jessica Botelho Finds Out The Tub Is Not A Good Playground

[Dakota Valkyrie]

A Manchester mother has been charged with negligent homicide in the death of her 1-year-old over the summer.

Police said that in July, Jessica Botelho, 23, was on the Internet on her porch for 40 minutes while her son nearly drowned in the bathtub.
[...]

Investigators said that when the 1-year-old arrived at the hospital, he was not breathing and had no pulse, and it took 15 minutes to get his heart beating again. The toddler was on life support for a week before he was taken off and died.

Police said Botelho initially told them that she was on the computer for a short time, but she later changed her story. Court records also said Botelho may have left her children unattended in the tub in the past.
[...]

Investigators said it was not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of neglect against the 1-year-old and his 2-year-old brother.

http://www.wmur.com/r/25271980/detail.html

Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jennie Duval listed his cause of death as "complications of near-drowning."

When interviewed by police, Botelho said she left Wesley and his brother, Trenton, in the tub and then went to the porch "for a very brief time period," court records say. She sent an instant message to a friend on her computer and returned to the bathroom, she told police.

But an analysis by the U.S. Secret Service found her computer was in constant use from 4:20 to 5:02 p.m., police said

When she returned to the bathroom, the 2-year-old said his brother was sleeping and swimming in the tub, police said. And Botelho told police she found Wesley in the tub with water running.

Her call to 911 was logged at 5:04 p.m.

Botelho tried to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on the infant and had a neighbor drive them to Elliot Hospital.

Ola Mayberry, a downstairs neighbor, went into Botelho's apartment to find the other boy.

"There she found Trenton still in the tub," the police affidavit said. "She described the tub as being half-full and draining."

Botelho's mother, Diane Sutherby, told police she felt that Botelho's computer "distracted from her parenting duties."

A brother, Joseph Silver, said Botelho told him the children were fine by themselves in the tub, police said.

Two other brothers, Nicholas Botelho and Christopher Botelho, both told detectives that their sister would put the children into the tub several times a day "as a way to pacify them."

Nicholas told police he had warned his sister not to leave the kids alone in the tub. Christopher said his sister told him she "going crazy because of the kids," and that she was "gonna kill the kids."
[...]

http://www.unionleader.com/article.a...3-96269a8d6d34

[TheMeaningOfItAll]

So she basically neglected her kids to the point of near-death in the subconscious hope that they would die and she would be rid of them....and could play on the computer undisturbed. What a bitch.

[Tundratot]

Well, I know that time flies when you're on the computer, but she had a portable obviously. She could have taken it into the bathroom and at least been present when the boys decided to "sleep" in the water. While I love a bath, and the kids had very little hesitation about joining me in it when they were small, I just wouldn't use it as a baby sitter. They weren't very comfortable in there by themselves anyway. I far prefered to use the services of my lawnmower whenever I wanted a break. (Kidding!) Actually, the TV is a great standby. Still not ideal, but let's be real.

[crimsonsorrow]

Nicholas told police he had warned his sister not to leave the kids alone in the tub. Christopher said his sister told him she "going crazy because of the kids," and that she was "gonna kill the kids."

and he did nothing. thank you, uncle nicholas for going the extra mile to protect these kids. NOT!

[AngelFire]

Uncle Nicholas is an idiot. Coming out AFTER the baby dies to speak about previous neglect makes you an asshole too.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Uncle Nicholas is an idiot. Coming out AFTER the baby dies to speak about previous neglect makes you an asshole too.

Unless Uncle Nicholas was sitting right there while she was doing it, what the hell is he supposed to do except what he did - warn her not to do it. All CPS would do for that is warn her themselves and she would say "OK" and do what she wants anyway. Unless CPS has proof that she continually does it, there is little they can do until tragedy strikes.

I commend Uncle Nicholas for at least warning her. Who knows - maybe she said "OK, I won't" - but did it any way. At least the family was trying to do something. All too often they cry "It was a horrible accident!" and stand by the stupid parent. The family tried to stop the horror and did exactly what CPS would have done.