A Goodyear mother is in jail on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder after a drowning call involving her 21-month-old daughter.
Phoeteama Janiece Neal, 28, was booked into jail and being held on $1 million bond, said Lisa Kutis, of the Goodyear Police Department.
Officers said a drowning at a home in the 4200 block of Pebble Creek Parkway was called in about 1:35 p.m. on Monday, Kutis said.
According to the police report, the 911 dispatcher asked Neal what her emergency was and she said, “I just drowned my baby.”
“I just drowned her,” Neal told 911, according to the police report. “She’s dead.”
Police said the child, who was fully clothed, was taken by medical helicopter to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she remained in extremely critical condition Tuesday morning, Kutis said.
The infant is on life support in pediatric ICU. Medical personnel estimate she has a 1 percent survival rate, according to the police report.
Neal was identified by her Air Force identification and was arrested.
Detectives said Neal learned earlier Monday morning that her child was to be relinquished to the baby’s father at the end of the month, according to the report.
The child’s biological father told police that Neal is scheduled to be deployed to Turkey on Aug. 31 and was trying to take the child with her, but a Maricopa County judge ruled that Neal could not take the girl to Turkey and that the father would get custody.
Stay with cbs5az.com and CBS 5 News as this story develops.
Aug 192014
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