A North Carolina mother is behind bars after police say her 16-month-old son drowned in a container of water on her front porch in Jacksonville.
According to a January 5 press release by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened on December 11, at a home off Old Timber Road. The suspect has been identified as 30-year-old Elizabeth Marie Holderness.
Following a 911 call regarding a missing child, deputies found the toddler inside the container, unconscious. First responders transported him to the Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, where he was pronounced dead.
On the same day, and around the same time as the child’s death, Holderness is accused of “ingesting an illegal substance” for an extended period of time, the Charlotte Observer reports. She turned herself in on January 5.
It’s currently unclear how the child got into the container.
Holderness is facing charges that include:
- Felony involuntary manslaughter
- Felony negligent child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury
- Contributing to the delinquency of a minor (six counts)
Search warrants reportedly indicated that at the time of the victim’s death, six children, between one and eight years old, were at the residence.
During court Monday, she received a $75,000 unsecured bond amount. According to WITN First Alert, a judge granted a bond amount after Holderness requested a drug test, which came back negative.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo via Onslow County SO]