Kentucky Dad Charged After Allegedly Leaving Infant in Water-Filled Bathtub While He Was on the Phone in a Different Room

A Kentucky father is facing serious criminal charges after his infant daughter was discovered unresponsive in a water-filled bathtub while he was in another room on his phone.

Steffan Mederios, 20, was charged with wanton endangerment and criminal abuse following a harrowing Tuesday incident at Latonia Terrace Apartments in Covington, Kentucky, according to FOX19. Covington police responded to the 100 block of Ashland Drive after receiving a report of an infant who was not breathing.

According to a citation, cited by the outlet, Mederios left his baby daughter alone in a bathtub filled with water for approximately five minutes while he scrolled on his phone in another room. When he returned, he found the child floating in the tub.

Rather than calling 911 himself, Mederios transported the infant to a relative’s home, where that family member made the emergency call. The baby was subsequently rushed to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders told the outlet that Mederios had left the scene entirely by the time first responders arrived.

“I do know that when police arrived on the scene, Mr. Mederios had fled the residence and was found hiding at a nearby relative’s residence, so he didn’t stick around to help police and firefighters, and he didn’t respond to the hospital to see how the baby was doing,” Sanders said, per the report. “He felt it more important to run away from the scene.”

The baby is expected to make a full recovery, according to Covington police.

Sanders, speaking to the broader implications of the case, emphasized that the county holds parents accountable when children are put at risk.

“We take children’s safety very seriously in Kenton County,” he said, per the report “We don’t expect parents to be perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but they can’t do things that place their child at the risk of serious injury or death or there’s going to be consequences for it.”

Mederios appeared in court for a preliminary hearing Wednesday, May 27, per the outlet.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.