Mother Charged with Murder After Baby Dies in Bath Water

A 24-year-old woman being held at the Hazelwood Police Department (HPD) after her infant son died Monday was formally charged today.

Brooke Maynard is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and murder in the second-degree.

The baby, who was identified as Roman Bell, was staying with Maynard at the Extended Stay America Hotel at 6065 North Lindbergh Boulevard.

Maynard is originally from Florida, and police said she has been staying there for the last three months. 

Maynard told police she left her baby alone in a bathtub full of water in a hotel room at about 2:30 p.m. Monday at the Extended Stay.

Police said she told them she intended to bathe the baby and walked away leaving the baby in the bath tub with the water running, where she became distracted and left the bathroom for a short period of time.

She said she realized what she had done, went back into the bathroom and found him not breathing in the tub full of water, according to HPD.

She said she took the baby out of the tub and began giving him CPR as she called 911. Officers and EMS arrived and found the nine-month-old boy on the floor in the room with his mother as she was administering CPR.

The baby was taken to SSM DePaul Health Center where efforts to resuscitate the baby continued but were unsuccessful. The baby was pronounced dead shortly after 3 p.m.

The baby was turned over to the St. Louis County Medical Examiner's Office to determine exactly how he died.

Bond is set at $250,000. Maynard will be held at the St. Louis County Jail.

To read more Hazelwood crime see:

• Teen Charged in Monday's Armed Robbery
• Hazelwood Teen Kicks In Door While Owner is Home