Inkster police: Mom is suspect after baby found in bathtub dies

1-year-old boy's mother being held as suspect

INKSTER, Mich. – The mother of a 1-year-old boy who died after being found face down in a bathtub Monday night in an Inkster home is now being held as a suspect in her son's death, Local 4 has learned. 

“We’re trying to put all the pieces together," Lt. Jeffrey Twardzik said. “At this point, she was the adult in the home at the time of this incident. We have some information that’s leading us to look at all directions.”

Twardzik said the mother has been cooperative with police.

Police said the boy, Anthony, was found in a home on Avondale Street after officers responded to an emergency call about the toddler not breathing.

You can help: A GoFundMe has been set up for the family to help with funeral expenses. 

Police said the boy was still in the bathtub when officers arrived, and that he also had appeared to have suffered burns on 50 percent of his body because the water was so hot.

“The whole situation is pretty horrific and shocking," Twardzik said. “I’m a parent as well. When you see something like that, it’s devastating to you. It’s something that you don’t easily forget.”

He also said the boy and other children had recently been returned to the home after a Child Protective Services investigation.

“We’re in cooperation with CPS to find out what exactly happened the first time, and why the children were taken out of the home," Twardzik said.

Bronson Wsick has lived next to the boy for almost two years.

“This is shocking. This is very shocking to me,” Wsick said. “He was a good, growing little boy, just running around playing.”

Wsick said he thinks the boy’s death was an accident.

“She’s a good mother ... it was probably, totally an accident,” he said.


About the Authors:

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.