A Seattle mother has been charged with manslaughter after prosecutors say her 2-year-old son, who had Down syndrome and could not sit, crawl or walk without support, drowned alone in a bathtub while she was on the phone with someone she was legally barred from contacting.
Nakeeya Arbogast, 25, was watching three children on July 9 when she reportedly left her son face down in a filling bathtub and stepped away to change her other kids’ diapers and prepare a snack. During that time, she was allegedly speaking with the children’s father, despite an active domestic violence no-contact order barring communication between them, according to charging documents.
When Arbogast returned, she found the toddler unconscious and floating in water that was nearly full to the rim, officials say. He was rushed to Seattle Children’s Hospital but died two days later from a severe brain injury caused by lack of oxygen.
Investigators say Arbogast initially claimed she’d only stepped away for three to six minutes, but testing showed the tub took at least 14 minutes to fill completely, meaning the boy was likely submerged and alone far longer than she admitted.
Officials say Arbogast described her son as functioning at the level of an 11-month-old, largely nonverbal and unable to protect himself in any way. She reportedly acknowledged to police that she knew leaving him alone in the bathtub was dangerous.
Investigators also allege Arbogast gave conflicting answers about the phone call and handed over a device that didn’t match the one seen in body camera footage. A second phone matching that footage was recovered after her arrest.
Prosecutors noted that Arbogast previously threatened the children’s father, allegedly saying she would harm their kids if he left her — a claim she denies, along with any intent to harm her son.
Arbogast is currently being held on $1 million bail following her arrest.