ARIZONA TODDLER FOUND BREATHING IN HOSPITAL MORGUE; PARENTS CLEARED OF CHARGES

No charges will be filed against the parents of an 18-month-old child who was declared dead after being found unresponsive in a family pool in Gilbert, Arizona, only to be discovered breathing hours later at a hospital morgue. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced the decision, stating that securing a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt was unlikely. Mitchell noted that the family had installed multiple childproof locks and safety measures, multiple adults were present in the home, and all believed someone was supervising the child. The investigation found no evidence that the parents showed obvious signs of impairment.

First responders were dispatched to the home on February 8 following a reported drowning. The child was pulled from the pool unresponsive, life-saving measures were performed, and he was transported to Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre, where he was pronounced dead approximately one hour later. About five hours after being pronounced dead, police were notified that the child was breathing. He was subsequently flown to another hospital and ultimately survived.

Documents obtained by the Associated Press reveal that Gilbert police officers present at the hospital observed possible signs of life multiple times before the child was moved to a cold room functioning as a morgue. Records indicated tension between officers and Dr. Aryan Toosi at the facility. Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre described the incident as "a heartbreaking situation" and confirmed it conducted a thorough review of all care provided to identify what occurred and strengthen future care.