Mississippi foster parents charged after baby drowns in bathtub

Mississippi foster parents charged after baby drowns in bathtub

Foster parents on the Mississippi coast have been arrested after an 11-month-old child in their care was found dead in a bathtub after an apparent drowning.

Police in Gautier, Miss., — about 40 miles west of Mobile — say officers responded to a residence just before 2 p.m. Saturday and found the child unresponsive in the bathtub. The child was pronounced deceased after being transported via ambulance to Ocean Springs Hospital.

The foster parents, identified as Tonya Winter and Deborrah Winter, were charged with felony child endangerment and transported to the Jackson County (Miss.) Adult Detention Center. Monday, bond for each was set at $20,000 and both later posted bond and were released.

Gautier police chief David Bever said two other foster children, ages 8 and 3, in the Winter’s home have been removed by child protective services.

Police said the case remains under investigation and additional information would be released when available.