Wisconsin mother convicted in child's fatal bathtub drowning
02/25/2022 10:15 am PST
KEWAUNEE COUNTY, Wis. (TCD) -- A mother accused of leaving a 7-month-old child alone in a bathtub was convicted Thursday, Feb. 24.
According to a press release from the Algoma Police Department, on Feb. 9, 2021, authorities responded to the 400 block of Fourth Street to a report of a child drowning.
WLUK-TV reports Cheyanne Wierichs' son discovered the infant drowning in the bathtub. According to a complaint obtained by WLUK, Wierichs "admitted to watching YouTube while the children bathed for several minutes."
The complaint goes on to say, "Ms. Wierichs also admitted to leaving the bathroom to connect her phone to a Bluetooth speaker, and then listening to a song in its entirety before hearing splashing. It was estimated that several minutes would have passed from the time Ms. Wierichs left the bathroom to when she returned."
The bathtub reportedly did not have a baby seat or a baby tub.
Police say 24-year-old Wierichs was arrested and booked into the Kewaunee County Jail without incident on Feb. 15. She was reportedly charged with neglecting a child resulting in death, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance — methamphetamine.
According to WLUK, Wierichs is scheduled to be sentenced May 18 for the child neglect charge. The two other counts were reportedly dismissed.
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