COMMERCE TWP., Mich. (WWJ) – An investigation is underway after a 1-year-old baby boy died hours after he was found unresponsive in a bathtub.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office says the baby was found with his face under water while his father – who had been bathing him – was in another room.
The father, a 37-year-old from Commerce Township, is in custody in the Oakland County Jail and police are waiting for the results of toxicology reports. The father’s name and age have not been released.
Authorities are exploring possible charges of child neglect.
Sheriff’s deputies were called to the man’s home in the 8000 block of Bywater in Commerce Township around 11:15 a.m. Friday on the report of a possible drowning. Authorities say the baby was unconscious and not breathing when deputies arrived to find the boy’s mother performing CPR.
Deputies took over life-saving measures until paramedics arrived.
The child died several hours later at Children’s Hospital in Detroit.
The father told authorities he was bathing the child when his phone rang and he went into another room to answer it. The boy’s mother was at the store at the time.
It was not clear how long the child was left unattended in the tub.
The sheriff’s office says the father was “unsteady and abnormally calm” when he was describing what had happened to his son.
He was later interviewed at a substation in Commerce Township. During that interview, the sheriff’s office says while he was seated, he fell asleep and slumped over in his chair.
The man was taken to an area hospital for further treatment and blood was drawn to search for evidence of possible illegal drug use, authorities said.
“It is heartbreaking to see a tragedy such as this which is so easily prevented,” Bouchard said. “We intend to hold this father fully accountable for this senseless death.”
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