SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY – Erica Baez, a 41-year-old mother from Bronx, has been indicted for manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child following the death of her seven-year-old daughter, Katlyn Pineda
. The indictment was announced by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney on Tuesday.
On January 13, 2022, Baez allegedly left her daughter unsupervised in the pool of the Melville Marriott Hotel while she consumed alcoholic drinks at the hotel bar.
Despite being advised by hotel staff to supervise her daughter due to the lack of a lifeguard presence, Baez allegedly left Katlyn alone in the pool multiple times.
Katlyn was found lifeless later that day and despite the resuscitation efforts, the child suffered irreversible brain damage and passed away on May 1.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michelle Haddad.