On Sept. 19 in Evansville, Indiana, a 3-year-old boy drowned in a backyard pool after his mother, Amie Jo Farber, 41, was reportedly found unresponsive nearby. Witnesses and the homeowner say the mother had been told to supervise the child but was allegedly impaired; the homeowner found the boy face-down in the water and bystanders performed CPR before he was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Farber was arrested and charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death; police obtained a warrant for a blood test and set bond at $25,000.
Indiana Mother Arrested After 3-Year-Old Drowns in Evansville Backyard Pool
Amie Jo FarberCredit: Vanderburgh County Jail
A 3-year-old boy drowned in a backyard pool in Evansville, Indiana, on Sept. 19. Police arrested his mother, Amie Jo Farber, 41, and charged her with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, according to court records reviewed by PEOPLE.
What Happened
Court documents and local reports say Farber and the child arrived at a residence on North Second Avenue at about 2:30 p.m. The homeowner agreed to let the boy swim in the backyard pool and told Farber she should supervise him while he was in the water, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The boy was reportedly on a float in the pool while Farber sat nearby. The homeowner went inside for roughly 10 minutes; when he returned he found Farber slumped and unresponsive in a patio chair and the child no longer visible in the water. The homeowner then discovered the boy face-down in the pool, pulled him from the water, and bystanders began CPR while someone called 911.
Emergency Response and Investigation
Emergency personnel performed life-saving measures and transported the child to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Witnesses at the scene reportedly said Farber appeared intoxicated; one person is quoted as saying, "She's passed out drunk," during the emergency call, according to local outlets.
The homeowner told police Farber had consumed about five 25-ounce beers over roughly two hours. An officer at the scene observed her near trash cans appearing to discard empty beer cans and noted signs of impairment. At the hospital, Farber allegedly said she "must have fallen asleep" but could not estimate for how long.
Police obtained a warrant to collect a blood sample from Farber to test for alcohol and drugs, the affidavit states. Farber was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail on Sept. 19; court records list bond at $25,000 cash. An initial hearing was scheduled for Sept. 23 at 1 p.m.
Legal Status
Farber is charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death. The case is pending, and PEOPLE has contacted the Evansville Police Department for comment.
Note: Details above are based on court records and local news reports citing a probable cause affidavit. Charges and allegations have not been proven in court.
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