Ormond Beach, FL– A Florida mother has received a 12-year prison sentence following the tragic drowning of her 3-year-old son in a retention pond after he wandered away from their apartment.
On Friday, December 13, Myra Santiago, 24, from Ormond Beach, entered a guilty plea for aggravated manslaughter of a child, classified as a first-degree felony, according to online court records.
A Volusia County judge issued the sentence on Monday, Dec. 16, as per online court records. According to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, she could be sentenced to as much as 30 years behind bars.
A resident of the San Marcos Apartments in Ormond Beach reported a concerning incident on April 23, 2023, calling 911 to say, “I have a child floating in my pond,” according to the News-Journal.
Emergency responders attempted to revive the boy, Azriyh Santiago, but were unsuccessful, according to WLBT.
According to the Ormond Beach Police Department, WLOX reports that Azriyh passed away after leaving his apartment, where he lived with his mother, hours earlier.
On Sunday morning around 6:45 a.m., a toddler was captured on a neighbor’s surveillance camera running past the neighbor’s door and then behind the apartment building, according to a police report, as reported by WLOX.
“The footage captures Azriyh strolling with what looks like a tablet encased in blue,” notes the police report. “He appeared to be scanning the area before sprinting straight to the pond as the video concludes.”
Santiago reported waking up around 1:45 p.m. to find crime scene tape outside her apartment building, according to WLOX.
According to WLOX, the police report indicated that she left the toddler unattended for approximately four hours the previous night while she visited the Daytona Beach boardwalk.
According to the police report, Santiago sent a message to a neighbor on Facebook asking, “Can you tell the police you saw Aziryh last night…” According to WLOX, “I arrived and picked him up from your location around 2 or 3.”
She later texted, “I’ll tell you later about everything, I’m freaking out,” according to the report from WESH.
Santiago’s aunt, Yvonne Martinez, mentioned that her niece observed the toddler appeared to be well-cared-for during her visits, according to WESH.
“Every encounter I’ve had with her and her son has been nothing but good, she’s been a good mom,” Martinez said.
According to police, the young boy had previously exited the apartment, as reported by WLOX. Santiago reportedly did not purchase child-safe locks, citing a lack of funds, according to Police.
Prior to the sentencing, Santiago’s lawyer shared a statement from her that conveyed feelings of regret, according to the News-Journal. Weston has also ordered Santiago to complete eight years of probation following his release from prison.
The report states that she has been instructed to avoid any unsupervised interactions with minors throughout her probation period.