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Iowa woman charged w/child endangerment resulting in death in her child’s drowning

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December 5th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(West Des Moines, Iowa via WHO-TV) — A woman was arrested Wednesday in connection to the drowning death of her child on October 31st in West Des Moines. Police and emergency crews responded a reported drowning at around 7-p.m. that day and found a 20-month-old who appeared to have drowned in a bathtub. The child was transported to a hospital, but despite life-saving efforts the child died, the police department said.

According to court records, the child’s mother, 21-year-old Kayla Bevar, told officers at the scene that she put her child in the tub at around 6:30 p.m. that night. Bevar told officers she typically sat in the bathroom while her child was taking a bath, but this time she had fallen asleep about 20 minutes after putting her child in the tub, a search warrant states. The search warrant goes on to say that Bevar also told officers that she fell asleep because she didn’t get any sleep the night before.

West Des Moines police said an investigation into the infant’s death began that same day and on Wednesday resulted in the arrest of Bevar. She has been charged with child endangerment resulting in death and neglect of a dependent person. Bevar is currently being held in the Polk County Jail.