Man slept as boy drowned in Florida hotel pool: Cops
Share this @internewscast.com

Inset: Sharef Omar Smith (Brevard County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Quality Inn Hotel in Palm Bay, Florida, where a child under Smith’s supervision tragically drowned (Google Maps).

A man fell asleep in a Florida hotel pool as the 3-year-old boy he was caring for struggled to stay afloat and eventually drowned, according to cops.

Upon noticing the child in the pool, a hotel housekeeper hurried over to save him and managed to pull him from the water. Authorities reported that 40-year-old Sharef Omar Smith allegedly declined to assist the staff member and eventually responded with expletives.

The event occurred at approximately 11 a.m. on a Saturday at the Quality Inn located in Palm Bay. According to the affidavit for probable cause, the housekeeper was working on the third floor when she glanced at the pool and saw the child floating. She rushed downstairs, imploring Smith to “Grab the child!” However, Smith, who was resting on the pool steps, remained unmoved. The staff member retrieved the child, referred to in the report as KS, from the deep section of the pool.

The boy was “lifeless,” per the complaint.

The housekeeper, unfamiliar with CPR, attempted to resuscitate the child while desperately asking Smith for help, police noted. Smith eventually awoke but merely stood by without intervening, officers stated.

“She mentioned she continuously yelled at him to take action, but he refused to assist. She recounted that he finally responded with, ‘F— you, b—’ and continued cursing as she cradled KS,” the complaint indicated.

During the incident, Smith allegedly continued to verbally confront other staff members who came to provide aid and contacted 911. Officers observed a wine bottle among his belongings, and noted the smell of alcohol on his breath. Smith was reportedly uncooperative with law enforcement, according to the affidavit.

The boy was rushed to one hospital and airlifted to another but later died.

Cops got a hold of the child’s mother, who said Smith was not intoxicated when she left the room about 10 a.m. but she “knows him to be a heavy drinker and has had many DUIs,” cops wrote. After she left the hotel, Smith called her looking for the boy’s swimming suit. But she did not want Smith to take him to the pool because he is “irresponsible,” the affidavit stated.

While he was at the hospital an officer overheard the mother yelling at Smith on the phone for being “drunk again,” cops wrote.

Detectives reviewed surveillance video from the motel that showed the boy was “drowning for approximately 20 to 23 minutes in front of the defendant who was asleep in the pool,” the complaint said.

Smith is facing charges of child neglect and aggravated manslaughter. He’s being held at the Brevard County Jail without bond.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Brazil’s Former President Accused of Attempting Escape to Argentina

Brazil’s federal police said that messages found on the telephone of embattled…

Police Report: Man Allegedly Hits Roommate with Truck at Crowded Intersection

Inset: Chad Michael Martinez (Milwaukee County Jail). Background: The intersection where Martinez…

Vermont Man Flees Police in Multi-State High-Speed Pursuit Following Domestic Incident

A man from Vermont incited a search across three states after a…

Man Assaults Pregnant Woman Over Argument About Noodles: DA Report

Inset: Jonathan Webster (Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The vicinity near Arrow…

Mother Discovered in Vacant Home with Deceased 10-Month-Old: ‘I Had No Choice but to Do Harm’

A mother from Milwaukee is now facing felony charges after police found…

Tragic Incident Occurs in Front of Family Days Before Thanksgiving

Left: Richard David Simms Jr. (Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office). Right: Nicole L.…

Be On The Lookout: South Carolina Girl Missing After Entering SUV with Unidentified Driver

Police in South Carolina are searching for a 16-year-old Sumter County girl…

Brothers Accused of Murdering Father Over Family Inheritance Sale Plans

Inset left to right: Jacob Hitchcock and Joshua Hitchcock (Carter County Sheriff’s…

Shock Waves in the Hamptons: Designer Found Dead on Yacht Amid Midnight Chaos, Owner Accused of Biting Attack

Martha Nolan-O’Slattarra, a fashion designer from Ireland, is found unresponsive on a…

Abrego Garcia Requests Judge to Drop Smuggling Charges

On the left, there’s Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a native of El Salvador…

Bryan Kohberger Alleges Sexual Harassment by Fellow Inmates in Prison

The individual who admitted to killing four University of Idaho students at…

Surveillance Footage Captures Brutal Assault on Infamous NSW Inmate

New video has emerged of one of NSW’s most notorious prisoners being…