Diontae Nicole Beckett is accused of “recklessly causing the victim’s death when she drunkenly placed the infant in a spa tub,” prosecutors said
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NEED TO KNOW
- Diontae Nicole Beckett is accused of placing her daughter in a spa tub while intoxicated, leading to the infant’s death
- Surveillance footage showed Beckett carrying her unresponsive daughter in the hotel lobby before guests called 911, according to police
- Beckett, who posted $100,000 bail, is scheduled to appear in court on charges of endangering the welfare of children and involuntary manslaughter on Sept. 25, per court records
A Philadelphia mother is accused of being intoxicated when her five-month-old daughter drowned in a hotel spa tub.
The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office recently announced in a press release that Diontae Nicole Beckett, 25, waived her preliminary hearing before Judge Raymond Sheller on Aug. 26 on charges of endangering the welfare of children and involuntary manslaughter.
Beckett is accused of “recklessly causing her daughter’s death when she drunkenly placed her in a spa tub in a hotel,” the DA’s office said in the press release.
Beckett, a guest at the hotel, allegedly told police that she had been consuming alcohol throughout the day of the child’s death, prosecutors said.
She also told police she had taken her daughter swimming earlier in the afternoon before returning to their bedroom.
Police discovered a picture and video of Beckett’s daughter in a spa tub on her phone, though Beckett told police she was not aware she had taken the girl into the spa tub, according to the press release.
She also allegedly told police she had never placed her daughter in the spa tub.
Surveillance footage from inside the hotel showed Beckett entering the lobby carrying her daughter, who appeared “lifeless in her arms,” according to the press release. Several hotel guests called 911 and attempted life-saving measures on the victim before first responders arrived.
The district attorney’s office alleged that a chemical test of Beckett’s breath determined that she had a blood alcohol content of 0.149 percent.
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Beckett was released from custody after posting $100,000 bail. Online court records viewed by PEOPLE indicate she is set to appear in court on Sept. 25.
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