A Georgia mother is facing a murder charge following the drowning death of her 1-year-old daughter in a bathtub, though her father maintains her innocence.
Ronica Jones was arrested in DeKalb County and charged with one count of murder in connection to the incident.
Investigators allege Jones left her daughter, whose name has not been disclosed, unsupervised in a bathtub on Nov. 7, leading to the child’s drowning. The baby passed away on Nov. 11 from her injuries.
Authorities are still piecing together the events.
“The case involving Ronica Jones is still in the early stages,” the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
The office will review the evidence and conduct further investigations before presenting the case to a grand jury.
Jones, who has since been released on bond, has not entered a plea, and it is unclear if she has retained legal counsel.
Her father, Ronald Jones, has publicly defended his daughter, insisting the tragedy was an accident. He stated that Ronica explained the baby slipped and fell into the water while she momentarily turned away to grab a towel.
“They know that she didn’t do anything to the baby,” he told WSB-TV. “She loved that baby.”
Jones’ case has sparked public discussion about parental responsibility and the circumstances under which accidents result in criminal charges.
As the investigation continues, the family faces the dual challenges of grief and legal scrutiny.
