Brooklyn woman charged in alleged drowning of her daughter during 'baptism'
A Brooklyn woman, Karla Espinal, 26, has been charged with felony assault and reckless endangerment after her six-year-old daughter, Madelyn Tavarez, was found unresponsive in a bathtub. Espinal claimed she was baptizing the child, but investigators suspect she was held underwater for up to 20 minutes. The girl was pronounced dead at the hospital. Espinal, under suicide watch, has pleaded not guilty. An autopsy is pending, and further charges may follow.
A Brooklyn woman, Karla Espinal, 26, has been charged with felony assault and reckless endangerment after her six-year-old daughter, Madelyn Tavarez, was found unresponsive in a bathtub. Espinal claimed she was baptizing the child, but investigators suspect she was held underwater for up to 20 minutes. The girl was pronounced dead at the hospital. Espinal, under suicide watch, has pleaded not guilty. An autopsy is pending, and further charges may follow.
