Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday afternoon the arrest of Yesica Boxtha on a charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child.
HCSO said Boxtha, 23, left 8-month-old Mateo Montoya unattended in a bathtub at a Plant City home on Sept. 5, 2020 and fell asleep. Montoya was alone in the bathtub for an unknown period of time and was unresponsive by the time Boxtha woke up and returned to the bathroom. The HCSO investigation determined the two were the only people in the home at the time.
The child was taken to the hospital but lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful. The Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that drowning was the cause of death. Boxtha, a teacher at Burney Elementary School, was arrested Jan. 17.
“My heart grieves for this child, whose life was cut far too short as a result of this negligence,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a press release. “As a result of our investigation, Boxtha was arrested and charged with Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child.”