A Seattle mother is facing allegations that she killed her disabled two-year-old son after prosecutors say she turned on a bathtub faucet and left the child face-down in the rising water for close to 15 minutes.
Nakeeya Arbogast, 25, was taken into custody on Monday in connection with the death of her toddler, with authorities alleging she walked away while he was alone in a quickly filling bath — a situation she later acknowledged was “unsafe,” according to prosecutors.
The child, referred to in court filings only by the initials KOA, survived the initial near-drowning but remained hospitalized for two days before dying from brain injuries linked to the incident.
Arbogast has allegedly denied that she meant to kill her son, who had Down syndrome and major physical and developmental challenges that prosecutors described in charging papers obtained by The Daily Mail as making him a “particularly vulnerable” victim.
“On that night, as the water filled the tub around KOA’s tiny body, he was unable to do anything to save himself from drowning,” prosecutors wrote, saying the boy had been left “physically helpless.”
Court documents state that the toddler could not crawl, walk or sit upright on his own without assistance. Arbogast allegedly told officers who responded to the scene that he functioned developmentally at about the level of an 11-month-old infant.
A probable cause statement obtained by the Daily Mail also cites the child’s paternal grandfather, identified only as Owens Sr, who told investigators he had previously seen Arbogast act in a threatening manner on more than one occasion.
In one reported incident, the grandfather said he was on the phone with his son, identified only as Owens, when he heard Arbogast yelling in the background: “You leave and I’ll kill these f***ing kids!”
Nakeeya Arbogast, 25, of Seattle, Washington state, is accused of killing her two-year-old disabled son after turning on the bathtub faucet and leaving him face-down in the water, according to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail
The tragic incident unfolded on the evening of July 9, when Arbogast frantically called 911 from her apartment in Seattle’s Northgate neighborhood
Arbogast was arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter involving domestic violence, with prosecutors asking that she remain held on $1 million bail.
The tragic incident unfolded on the evening of July 9, when the mother called 911 ‘frantic and breathless’ and told dispatchers: “My son. He’s not breathing,” according to the probable cause statement.
Police and firefighters raced to Arbogast’s Seattle apartment in the Northgate neighborhood, where they performed CPR on the child before transporting him to Seattle Children’s Hospital.
An investigation was launched, during which police allege Arbogast admitted placing her son’s face underwater in the bathtub and allowing it to fill before leaving the room to tend to her two other young children.
According to court documents, all of KOA’s siblings, including his twin, were present during the initial response and were just feet away while medics performed CPR.
Arbogast allegedly shared that KOA’s twin brother was ‘looking for his brother around the apartment not knowing where he is,’ the documents read.
She allegedly told police she knew leaving her son unattended was unsafe but claimed she had to change her other children’s diapers and prepare a snack for one of them.
The mother told investigators she estimated being away from the bathroom for only three to six minutes, a claim prosecutors argued did not align with the evidence.
Prosecutors argued that crime scene testing determined that the bathtub took roughly 14 minutes to fill to the level where the toddler was found
The two-year-old boy fought for his life for two days in Seattle Children’s Hospital before succumbing to brain injuries caused by the near-drowning
Instead, prosecutors argued that crime scene testing revealed the bathtub took just over 14 minutes to fill to the level where the toddler was found, a timeline that suggested he had been left in the water far longer than she claimed.
Investigators also allege that, rather than attending to her children, Arbogast was distracted by their father.
According to a probable cause statement obtained by the outlet, Arbogast was on the phone with the father of her children during the time her toddler was allegedly left submerged in the bathtub.
Meanwhile, the unidentified father himself has an active domestic violence protection order restricting contact with his family.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office ultimately charged the mother with first-degree manslaughter after the two-year-old boy died on July 11, two days after he was found.
Prosecutors argued that the grim incident occurred within the sight or sound of another minor child, which they said could be considered an aggravating factor if convicted.
Alongside the hefty bail request, prosecutors sought strict release conditions, including electronic home monitoring, no contact with minors, the surrender of weapons and a ban on firearms and non-prescribed drugs.
They also asked the judge to prevent her from leaving the state should she be released from behind bars, claiming she poses a risk to public safety and could potentially interfere with the case.
In their argument, prosecutors pointed to red flags raised during the investigation, including what they described as inconsistent statements she allegedly provided to authorities, according to court documents.
Investigators also believe the broken cellphone Arbogast provided as evidence was not the device she used to call 911 on the night of the incident – another concern prosecutors highlighted.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Seattle Police Department’s North Precinct for comment.
