Mom held after baby left in motel drowns in bathtub

[CShine]

McALLEN - A woman was held today in lieu of bonds in the drowning of her 10-month-old baby girl at a South Texas motel room.

Investigators say the 21-year-old Mexican national was arrested after the girl was found floating face up in a bathtub Sunday. The mother was accused of leaving two older children unsupervised in the tub with the water running while she left the room to make a call on a pay telephone, when the younger girl crawled in to join them.

Alma Luz Mendoza was arraigned Monday by McAllen Municipal Judge Kathleen Henley on two counts of child endangerment and one count of manslaughter. The judge set bond at a combined $20,000.

Police were called Sunday night to the Airport Inn Motel, where they found the baby unconscious and floating face up in the tub. She was taken to McAllen Medical Center but was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2640936