The mother of a Gwinnett County boy on life support is accused of leaving both of her children unattended in a bathtub last month, according to an arrest warrant obtained Tuesday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Britianie Pace, 23, of Lawrenceville, was arrested June 29 on a charge of second-degree child cruelty after an investigation by the Division of Family and Children Services.
She is accused of causing “cruel or excessive pain by leaving the 1-year-old victim and his 2-year-old sister in a bathtub unattended,” the warrant states. “The 1-year-old nearly drowned and is still in critical condition in the hospital.”
The child was flown to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, where he has been ever since the June 12 incident, his father, Brade Gilleland, told The AJC.
Both children remain in DFCS custody, with the daughter temporarily placed in the home of her paternal grandparents, Pace’s attorney, Angela Kinley, said.
Kinley represents Pace in her custody case.
The parents have been back and forth in the juvenile courts about custody and are battling over whether to remove a ventilator.
Gilleland said doctors told him his son has severe brain damage and will never wake up. Kinley said her client is not being granted access to the child’s medical records and therefore cannot make an informed decision.
The warrant states Pace could be released on a $25,000 bond contingent on her not being around her son or any other child under the age of 12.
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