Kentucky man charged after infant found unresponsive in bath, police say

A Kentucky father is facing charges after allegedly leaving his infant daughter unattended in a bathtub while he was in another room scrolling on his phone, authorities said.

Police in Covington responded to an apartment on Tuesday, May 26, after receiving a report of an unresponsive infant, according to an arrest citation and local reports.

Officers said a baby girl was discovered unconscious after being left in a bathtub filled with water for approximately five minutes.

The child’s father, 20-year-old Seffan Mederious, allegedly told police he had stepped away from the bathroom and was in another room using his phone when the incident occurred. When he returned, he reportedly found his daughter floating in the water.

Following the discovery, Mederious allegedly took the child to a relative’s home, where 911 was called. The infant was then transported to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and is expected to recover fully, according to authorities.

Prosecutors allege that Mederious fled the scene after the incident. Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders said the suspect was later found hiding at a nearby relative’s residence when police arrived.

“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, according to local reports. “He felt it more important to run away from the scene.”

Authorities confirmed that Mederious has been charged with wanton endangerment and criminal abuse. He appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, May 27, and the case is expected to proceed to a grand jury.

Sanders emphasized the seriousness with which child safety cases are handled in the county.

“We don’t expect parents to be perfect by any stretch of the imagination,” he said, “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.”