ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A 28-year-old Albuquerque woman, Edith Estrada-Sigala, has been charged with child abuse resulting in death after her 7-month-old baby was found unresponsive in a bathtub.
The incident occurred on the evening of Monday, March 3, when police responded to a home on San Pablo Street. Albuquerque Fire Rescue (AFR) had been performing life-saving measures on the infant, who was later pronounced unresponsive.
Estrada-Sigala initially told authorities that her baby had been struggling with pneumonia for the past three weeks. She explained that she put the baby down for a nap, and when she checked on the child later, the baby was not breathing. She immediately called 911.
According to police, Estrada-Sigala said she was tired after work but decided to bathe the baby. She then claimed to have fallen asleep while the water was running in the bathtub.
During a search of the home, officers found multiple bottles of alcohol, including two in the bathroom. Estrada-Sigala also told police she had dropped her older child off at school earlier that morning before returning home with the baby.
Estrada-Sigala admitted to drinking alcohol around 10 a.m., after putting the baby down for a nap. The child woke up around noon, prompting her to attempt the bath. Police say Estrada-Sigala left the baby alone in the bathroom to do laundry, then laid down in the bedroom, where she fell asleep.
She was reportedly woken up by a family member around 5 p.m. and believed the baby was resting in the bedroom bassinet. However, the infant was discovered unresponsive in the bathtub. The mother and the family member tried to perform CPR until AFR arrived on the scene.
Following the investigation, Albuquerque Police’s Crimes Against Children Unit secured an arrest warrant for Estrada-Sigala. She now faces charges of child abuse resulting in death.
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