A tragic pool party in Bradenton has ended with a mother facing criminal charges after her 4-year-old daughter drowned at an apartment complex swimming pool over the weekend.
According to the Bradenton Police Department, officers responded Saturday night to the Kendall Ridge apartment complex after receiving reports of a child found unresponsive in the pool. Police said the young girl had been underwater for several minutes before anyone noticed she was missing. Officers arrived within minutes and immediately began CPR before the child was transported to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Authorities identified the child’s mother as Rosette Pierrecius, 32, who was arrested Sunday morning on a charge of child neglect causing great bodily harm. Investigators said a large group of adults and children had gathered for an after-hours pool party at the apartment complex when the incident occurred.
Detectives reviewed surveillance video from the scene and said the footage showed the child remained underwater for an extended period before anyone reacted. Police also stated that witness accounts did not fully match what investigators observed on the video. “No one was watching,” a spokesperson for the department told local media while discussing the case.
Officials say the investigation remains ongoing, and prosecutors could determine whether additional or upgraded charges are appropriate following the child’s death.
The tragedy has renewed warnings from law enforcement and child safety advocates about the dangers of unsupervised swimming. The Bradenton Police Department reminded families that drowning remains the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 in the United States and urged parents to designate a dedicated “water watcher” whenever children are near pools or open water.
