A 22-year-old mom has been arrested over a year after her 7-month-old son drowned in a bathtub, South Carolina law enforcement said.
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A 21-year-old mom left her baby alone in a bathtub upstairs, and the child drowned, but she waited to call 911, South Carolina authorities said.
Just over a year later, Randora Ashanti Burton, now 22, has been charged with homicide by child abuse.
Burton is accused of leaving her 7-month-old son by himself in a bathtub while she was downstairs at their Greenville home on June 26, 2024, according to an arrest warrant from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
When she went back upstairs, she found the infant unresponsive, but authorities said she “delayed calling 911,” and the boy died.
Burton’s “neglectful actions caused the death of the victim, which occurred under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life,” law enforcement said.
Authorities, in the redacted warrant, said another individual was left unattended in a bedroom upstairs as well.
If you suspect a child has experienced, is currently experiencing, or is at risk of experiencing abuse or neglect, your first step should be to contact the appropriate agency. The Child Welfare Information Gateway has a list of state agencies you can contact. Find help specific to your area here.
For additional help, the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline has professional crisis counselors available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 170 languages. All calls are confidential. The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources. You can call or text 1-800-422-4453.
If you believe a child is in immediate danger, please call 911 for help.
Olivia Lloyd is an Associate Editor/Reporter for the Coral Springs News, the Pembroke Pines News and the Miramar News. She graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Previously, she has worked for Hearst DevHub, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and McClatchy’s Real Time Team.
