Mom's Negligence Led to 3-Year-Old Son's Drowning Death. Then She Told Neighbor to Lie About It

A Florida mother whose 3-year-old son drowned in a retention pond after wandering away from their apartment has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

On Friday, Dec. 13, Myra Santiago, 24, of Ormond Beach, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter of a child, a first-degree felony, online court records show.

On Monday, Dec. 16, a Volusia County judge handed down the sentence, according to online court records.

She faced up to 30 years in prison, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

The crime came to light on April 23, 2023, when a resident of the San Marcos Apartments in Ormond Beach called 911 saying, “I have a child floating in my pond,” the News-Journal reports.

EMTs tried to save the boy, Azriyh Santiago, but could not resuscitate him, WLBT reports.

Azriyh died after wandering hours earlier out of the apartment where he lived with his mother, according to the Ormond Beach Police Department, WLOX reports.

At about 6:45 a.m. that Sunday morning, the toddler was seen on a neighbor’s surveillance camera running past the neighbor’s door and then behind the apartment building, police said in a report, WLOX reports.

“The video shows Azriyh walking around with what appears to be a tablet with a blue case,” states the police report. “He was seen looking around and then ran directly toward the pond when the video ends.”

Santiago said she woke up at about 1:45 p.m. to crime scene tape outside the apartment building, WLOX reports.

She left the toddler alone for about four hours the night before when she went to the Daytona Beach boardwalk, the police report said, WLOX reports.

But, according to the police report, Santiago messaged a neighbor on Facebook saying, “Can you tell the police you watched Aziryh last night… I came and got him from your place at 2 or 3,” WLOX reports.

She then messaged, “I’ll tell you later about everything, I’m freaking out,” the report said, WESH reports.

Santiago’s aunt Yvonne Martinez said her niece said that the toddler always seemed well-cared-for when she went to see them, WESH reports.

“Every encounter I’ve had with her and her son has been nothing but good, she’s been a good mom,” Martinez said.

The little boy had gotten out of the apartment before, police said, WLOX reports.

But Santiago never bought child-safe locks, saying she didn’t have the money for them, police said, WLOX reports.

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Before the sentencing, Santiago’s attorney read a statement from her expressing remorse, the News-Journal reports.

The judge had harsh words for her.

“I know that you are remorseful that this has happened to you,” Circuit Judge Kathryn Weston said, the News-Journal reports.

“But 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. And I know you’ll have regrets probably the rest of your life over not having done that very simple thing.”

Weston also sentenced Santiago to serve eight-years probation upon release from prison, the News-Journal reports.

She was also ordered to have no unsupervised contact with minors during her probation, the paper reports.

Her attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.