Boy, 3, drowned for 20 minutes at Florida hotel while guardian was asleep at pool: Affidavit

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A 3-year-old boy struggled for some 20 minutes before drowning in a hotel pool as the person in charge of him was asleep nearby, according to the Palm Bay Police Department.

That man is now facing a charge of aggravated manslaughter following the boy's death, records show.

What we know

Police said the young boy, identified in the police report as K.S., was found Saturday morning, July 26, floating in a pool at the Quality Inn on Palm Bay Road in Palm Bay, Florida.

A hotel housekeeper was cleaning a room when she looked out the window and noticed a baby floating in the pool, the report said. That housekeeper ran out into the yard and began screaming for a man – later identified as Sharef Omar Smith – to help.

"Grab the baby!" she reportedly screamed at Smith, the report said.

That woman told officers that Smith did not respond to her and did not move. She ended up pulling the baby out of the deep end of the pool and, despite not knowing CPR, hit the boy's chest and tried to open his mouth to breathe.

She again asked Smith to help. She told officers that Smith stood there, looked at her, and then swore at her. Smith was allegedly hostile towards hotel staff, first responders, and police. He was uncooperative and would not provide details on how the baby ended up in the pool.

The baby was rushed to the hospital, where he was later declared death. The Medical Examiner later determined that the boy died from drowning, according to the police report.

The housekeeper told officers that she believed she saw a wine bottle in a bag next to Smith at the pool. Another wine bottle was also found in the hotel room, according to the report.

According to hotel surveillance video of the pool, officers said the boy could be seen drowning for 20–23 minutes in front of Smith, who was apparently asleep, the report said.

Smith was originally arrested and booked into jail on a charge of child neglect with serious bodily injury. He has since been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.

He is being held in jail on no bond, according to online records.

The Source

The information comes from the arrest affidavit and the probable cause statement, as well as online records for the Brevard County Jail.