RACHAEL GREEN - 1 yo - Tucson AZ

Tucson Police
Department Dependant Child Unit Detectives have arrested 24 year-old
Elisa Green and 24 year-old Shaun Green in the drowning death of their
1 year-old child Rachael Green.

On July 04, 2009 at approximately
1:30 p.m, Officers from Operations Division Midtown responded to assist
Tucson Fire Department with a report of a child drowning. On arrival,
officers were told that the 1 year-old child was left unattended in the
bathtub with two siblings both under the age of 4 years-old for a brief
period of time. Elisa Green returned to the bathroom to find Rachael
underwater and unresponsive. The child was transported to University
Medical Center where she died on July 08, 2009. Detectives from the
Dependant Child Unit responded to continue the investigation. After completion of the investigation and in conclusion with the Pima
County Attorney’s Office, both Shaun and Elisa Green were arrested and
charged in the death of their daughter one count of Negligent Homicide
and three counts of Child Abuse. They both have been booked into Pima
County Jail.

The parents of a 1-year-old girl who drowned in their bathtub
pleaded guilty to negligent homicide and child abuse Wednesday and
will spend time in prison.

Elisa and Shaun Green, both 25, are both eligible for probation
on the child abuse charge, but face mandatory prison time on the
homicide charge. The maximum sentence either of them could receive
is 7.5 years in prison.

The couple’s daughter, Rachael, died July 8, 2009, after she was
left unattended in a bathtub with two siblings — both under the age
of 4. Her mother was "multitasking" and her father was watching a
movie, according to court records.

The children got dirty with ketchup, so their mother decided to
bathe them, the complaint said. Elisa Green placed Rachael in a
safety seat that was hooked to the tub and left the children
alone.

The mother then went to get a baby blanket to dry the kids off
and spoke to her husband about their Fourth of July plans before
she began making pancakes, court documents said.

When she no longer could hear the kids making noise, she went to
check on them and found Rachel face-down in the water with the
other children patting her on the back and saying "baby." Elisa
Green took Rachael out of the tub, but the child was unresponsive.
Rachael was taken to a hospital, where she died.

Police said the father knew his wife was giving the kids a bath
and did not offer to help because he was watching a movie, court
documents said.

On Wednesday, both Greens were required to tell Judge Howard
Fell of Pima County Superior Court what they did that made them
guilty of the charges.

Elisa Green was crying so hard, most of her statement was
unintelligible.

A subdued Shaun Green told the judge, “I didn’t help my wife
with what she needed help with.” He also acknowledged he knew the
kids were in the tub at one point.

Deputy Pima County Attorney Anita Simons told Fell both parents
knew Rachael could get out of the safety seat.

The child abuse charges pertained to the “filthy” conditions of
their home, which put their other children’s health at risk, Simons
said.

Child Protective Services was aware of the Green family prior to
the baby’s death.

The couple had their children removed from their custody for
failure to thrive, according to court documents.

They completed required parenting classes and a family CPS plan,
and their children were returned to them in 2008.

After the children's return, the parents continued to neglect
the kids, court documents say. CPS has since filed to sever their
parental rights.

The pair will be sentenced April 17.