Police: Mom Was On Facebook While Baby Drowned

A Springfield mother has been charged in her child’s death.

Police said she didn’t notice her son drowning because she was busy updating her Facebook status.

Officers said the 13-month-old was taking a bath with his 2-year-old brother while their father was asleep on the couch.

The woman told police she put her boys in the tub and left for no more than three minutes to grab a towel and to check the weather forecast, but police found out she left them alone for much longer.

“She came banging on my door,” said neighbor Steven Steiner. "She just handed me baby Dale in a blanket and just said that something happened bad."

Steiner said it wasn’t the time to ask questions. "I ain't never seen her freak out like that."

Hours later as he watched her 2-year-old, Steiner learned his neighbor, 27-year-old Danita Torres, had just found her 13-month-old son, Drustian Springer, fully submerged in at least 12 inches of water.

"It hit me hard because he was a great little kid," Steiner said.

Springfield Sgt. Jeff Flores said, “The bathtub was about half full when officers arrived."

Torres told police she used her phone while it was still plugged into the wall to get online. Detectives subpoenaed her cell phone provider and discovered she’d been on the internet for about 16 minutes, even posting an update to her Facebook profile.

That was at 9:39 p.m. She logged off at 9:47 p.m. The next time she used her phone was three minutes later when she called 911.

"She was devastated," Flores said.

Steiner said, “He was a great kid. Smiled. Just super lovable."

With four kids of his own, Steiner is still trying to understand how such a terrible accident could happen right next door. "I don't really let them get out of my sight much anymore at all."

About his neighbors, he said he would still describe them as good parents. “I'd trust them 100 percent with my kids."

Drustian was the youngest of Torres’ four children.

Torres has been charged with two counts of endangering a child and one count of involuntary manslaughter. The case will go in front of a grand jury next week.