A Cleveland woman has been indicted on over 30 charges, including attempted murder, after video surfaced showing her attempt to drown her 6-year-old son in a bathtub.
According to a police report, officers became aware about the case of Dazshea Watkins on August 30, when a representative of the Cuyahoga County Department of Child and Family Services disclosed details of the story to Cleveland Police.
Two days earlier, the 25-year-old Watkins apparently sent video of her holding her son by the neck under the water in the bathtub to the child's father. The child was kicking and splashing water attempting to break free from Watkins before the video ended.
The father went to Watkins' house and found the child to be safe. He took custody of the child and was advised by his sister to report the incident, but the father said he did not want Watkins to go jail. His sister, who saw the video, called the Department of Children and Family Services on August 29, notifying them of the situation.
In a phone conversation between Watkins and the Department of Children and Family Services, Watkins said she was 'pregnant, frustrated, and felt alone,' which is why she did what she did.
The indictment against Watkins indicates that she also beat her child in the head with a broom several times. She was also charged with child endangerment for 'recklessly torturing or cruelly abusing' her son, plus felonious assault charges for using a pillow as a deadly weapon. Other charges included kidnapping, domestic violence, and pandering obsenity involving a minor.
Watkins was arrested on September 4 and posted a $10,000 bond. She is due for arraignment in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday.