Foster mother pleads guilty in accidental death of 8-month-old

A foster mother in northwest Arizona has agreed to a plea deal in the accidental drowning death of a 8-month-old boy.

Elizabeth Dawn Stone, 32, and her fiance had been caring for David Whatahomigie for about three months before his September 2011 death.

David was taking a bath with a 3-year-old child when Stone left them unattended for three to five minutes to take a phone call, according to reports. The baby was pulled from the water and rushed to Kingman Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The reports indicated that Stone had cared for some 50 foster children without incident over a six-year period.

The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office investigated the accidental drowning in the community of Valle Vista, about 15 miles north of Kingman. Reports indicate the infant, who suffered symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome, had been placed in foster care by Hualapai Tribal social service workers.

Stone’s deal requires probation and up to one year in the county jail when she is sentenced Dec. 6 for negligent homicide.