A Philadelphia woman is accused of “drunkenly” placing her 5-month-old daughter in a Best Western hotel spa tub, causing the infant to drown.
Diontae Nicole Beckett, 25, is charged with endangering the welfare of children and involuntary manslaughter in connection with the baby’s death earlier this year, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
Beckett’s case will move forward after she waived her right to a preliminary hearing, the district attorney’s office said in a Tuesday, September 8, news release.
The case stems from May 11, when Beckett had been staying at the hotel with her baby in Leacock Township, according to authorities. They were guests at the Best Western Plus Intercourse Village Inn & Suites, WGAL reported.
That evening, Beckett entered the hotel lobby carrying her baby, who appeared “lifeless in her arms” in surveillance footage, according to prosecutors.
Multiple guests called 911 and tried to help save the infant before first responders arrived at the scene, the district attorney’s office said.
A coroner later determined Beckett’s daughter had died of freshwater drowning, per WGAL.
Beckett told police officers that she had been drinking alcohol at the hotel throughout the day and had taken her daughter for a swim in the afternoon before her baby’s death, according to prosecutors.
When they went back to their bedroom, Beckett allegedly put her baby in a spa tub, the district attorney’s office said.
Beckett initially denied doing so, but a photo and video on her phone showing her baby in the tub indicated otherwise, according to authorities.
“Beckett told police she was not aware she had taken the girl into the spa tub,” the district attorney’s office said.
A chemical test revealed Beckett’s blood alcohol content was 0.149 percent, according to authorities. This is considered a “high BAC” under Pennsylvania’s DUI laws.
Beckett has been released from custody after posting a $100,000 bail, the district attorney’s office said.
Information on whether she retained legal representation wasn’t immediately available.
If Beckett is found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection with her daughter’s death, she could face up to 10 years in prison since her child was younger than 12 years of age, according to the Dorward Law Firm.
As for the charge of endangering the welfare of children, penalties can vary depending on certain circumstances in Pennsylvania, according to the McShane Firm. If someone is found guilty of the charge as a first time offense, they could face up to five years in jail.
