3-Year-Old Drowns in Florida Pond as Mom’s Negligence Leads to Tragic Death—Then She Asks Neighbor to Lie
(Photo: Volusia County Division of Corrections)
A Florida mother who asked her neighbor to lie about her actions after her three-year-old son drowned in a pond has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. Myra O. Santiago, 24, was convicted for her role in the tragic death of her son, Aziryh Santiago, who escaped from their Fort Lauderdale home on April 23, 2023.
The court heard that the toddler had managed to leave the residence multiple times before and that Santiago had failed to install child safety locks on the doors. On the afternoon of Aziryh’s death, police discovered the toddler’s body in a pond located behind the family’s apartment complex, WLBT reports.
Initially, Santiago claimed she had left Aziryh with a neighbor the night before while she went out with a friend to nearby Daytona Beach. She alleged she returned home around 1 or 2 a.m. and last saw her son at 6 a.m. when he came into her room for his morning medication.
However, police later uncovered text messages that exposed Santiago’s attempt to pressure her neighbor into lying. According to Law&Crime, Santiago texted: “Can you tell the Police you watched Aziryh last night,” and added, “It’s important girl… I’m going through so much right now.”
In another message, she wrote, “I came and got him from your place ar [sic] 2 or 3… I’ll tell you later about everything. I’m freaking out.” CCTV footage directly contradicted Santiago’s claims, showing Aziryh running past a neighbor’s door at 6:46 a.m.
He was then seen heading toward the pond behind the complex, where his body was later found. Investigators also discovered inconsistencies in witness statements. A friend of Santiago’s, who claimed he had stayed at her home that night, provided conflicting details about where he had slept, WLOX reports.
Santiago admitted to investigators that her son had escaped before but said she could not afford child safety locks. Police disputed this, reporting they found $100 in cash at her home, along with drug paraphernalia, alcohol, and e-cigarettes.
“There was plenty of evidence to show that [Santiago] had the funds to purchase the lock but failed to do so,” authorities said. During sentencing, Volusia County Circuit Judge Kathryn Weston acknowledged Santiago’s remorse but deemed her actions unforgivable.
“It’s quite frankly inexcusable that this could have happened previously, and you knew that you needed the child lock and quite simply didn’t go get it,” the judge said, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. “I know you’ll have regrets probably the rest of your life over not having done that very simple thing.”
Santiago’s sentencing serves as a grim reminder of the tragic consequences of neglect, leaving a grieving family and community to mourn the loss of a young life.
