The mother of a 6-year-old girl found dead in the bathtub of her family’s Brooklyn apartment has been criminally charged, police said Sunday.
Karla Espinal, 26, is facing charges of felony assault, child endangerment and reckless endangerment following her daughter’s death in the home on Elton St. near Ridgewood Ave. in East New York about 1:30 p.m. Friday.
A police source told the Daily News the youngster’s death is considered suspicious. The child was in the tub for around 20 minutes prior to cops’ arrival and the mother and father were both present when officers showed up.
The girl had blood clots in her eyes, indicating a struggle and possibly strangulation, the source said. Police have not yet released the girl’s name.
Neighbors saw her father jump into the ambulance with his daughter before it headed to Brookdale University Hospital. A few moments later, cops removed the child’s mother from the home, the neighbors said.
The city Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy to determine exactly how the girl died and upgraded charges against the mother are possible.
