Mother of two children found unconscious in pool lied to police

SAN DIEGO -- The mother of two children found unconscious in a backyard pool lied to police about where she found them in order to protect a friend who was growing marijuana, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officials said.

The woman’s 1-year-old daughter died and her 2-year-old son is clinging to life at a hospital, authorities said.

Initially, officials said, the mother told investigators that the incident occurred at a community swimming pool in a nearby mobile home park. She later admitted that she had lied and that the incident occurred at a home in La Mesa she shared with a male friend.

A marijuana-growing operation was found at the home, and narcotics detectives were summoned, said Lt. Glenn Giannantonio.

The mother said she had been asleep and awoke about 9:45 a.m. Monday to find the children in the pool, floating and unresponsive. She and her friend then rushed them to a nearby fire station, where paramedics attempted to revive them.

Both children were then sent to hospitals. The girl was pronounced dead, and the boy is in the intensive care unit at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego.

The children’s mother and her friend had apparently not realized that the children had fallen into the pool in the east San Diego County neighborhood, authorities said.

The mother’s friend disappeared from the fire station. He is being sought by sheriff’s investigators.

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