A young Indiana accused of neglecting her drowning foster daughter allegedly told police that the toddler "always puts her face" into the water during bath time, according to authorities.
Hailynn Volpatti, 25, is charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death following the drowing of her 1-year-old foster daughter, Nova Bryant, according to WTHR.
On May 21, Volpatti allegedly left little Nova in the bathtub with her two 4-year-old sons to get a drink. Volpatti then heard one of her sons yell for her. When she returned, she found Nova floating in the tub on her back, with her nose slightly above the water. She then called the police.
The responding officer began to perform CPR on Nova until he located a "faint pulse." Nova was then transported to two hospitals: first one in Terre Haute, then to one in Indianapolis, where she died in June.
"Hailynn told Officer Young that Nova always puts her face down into the bathwater and takes a huge 'gulp' of water," says a probable cause affidavit obtained by WTHR.
"Nova's past medical history included chronic feeding disorder, emesis, gastrostomy tube dependent, global developmental delay, history of gastroschisis, history of prematurity, moderate malnutrition, motility disorder of intestine, oropharyngeal dysphagia, short stature and spinal asymmetry," stated court documents obtained by WTHR.
Furthermore, Volpatti was reportedly changed details about her story about the night that Nova drowned, initially telling officers she had left the children unattended in the bath for five minutes, then changing her statement to say she had been gone for 15 to 20 minutes, according to law enforcement.
Later, she admitted that she left the children unattended for about half an hour while on the phone with a friend.
The friend Volpatti had been speaking to also confirmed that the children were left unattended for about 30 minutes.
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