Jessica Weaver, a 35-year-old mother from Indiana, is confronting neglect charges following the drowning incident involving her three-year-old son, Anthony Leo Malave, at Camp Cohen Water Park in El Paso, Texas. It occurred in May, while witnesses claim that Jessica was consumed, fixated on her phone and detached from her responsibility to watch her child.
The toddler drowned in a part of the pool which was four feet deep, and without a life vest, despite the facility’s accessibility to life-protecting equipment. Camp Cohen Water Park declared that all children under six years old should be under adult direct supervision while in the water.
Witnesses’ accounts revealed that Weaver was deeply immersed in her phone and neglecting her child. She was arrested in Indiana on August 30, waived extradition, and was taken to El Paso County Jail on September 22. She was later set free thanks to a surety bond worth $100,000.
Weaver’s defense has countered with a $1 million lawsuit, claiming that the park and its lifeguards exhibited gross negligence. The lawsuit alleges that Weaver is being unfairly targeted for her son’s death and views the criminal charges as a backlash for the wrongful death lawsuit. The lawyers affirm the absence of experience requirements for lifeguard candidates and allege that the city destroyed the surveillance footage from the tragic day.
In response, El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks clarified that the civil lawsuit is independent of the criminal charges. Considerably measured in his response, Hicks highlighted that every investigation into a child’s death is undertaken meticulously, refusing to engage in a dispute with Weaver’s civil attorney.
