Police Investigate Child’s Drowning as a Homicide

Simi Valley police are conducting a homicide investigation into the death of a 16-month-old child who drowned Sunday in a back-yard Jacuzzi while her parents were allegedly intoxicated.

The dead child was identified as Marisa Lee Walker, daughter of Samuel Walker, 27, and Lisa Walker, 32, all of Simi Valley. She was pronounced dead at 10:32 p.m. at Simi Valley Hospital, where she was taken by ambulance.

Although both parents were detained for several hours by Simi Valley police during the initial stage of the investigation, neither was booked or charged in connection with the death at that time, Lt. Robert Klamser said in a prepared statement.

The investigation into the death is continuing, however, he said.

The drowning occurred while the parents, the child and the child’s two sisters, 5 and 8 years old, were visiting friends in Simi Valley, he said.

After dinner, the parents and the friends realized that the toddler was missing. She was found in the back-yard Jacuzzi, which was operating because the two other children had used it earlier.

The girl was not breathing and a woman at the house called 911 at 9:53 p.m., Klamser said. When Officer Brian Chandler arrived, he found the child on a couch, apparently lifeless. He performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until Fire Department paramedics arrived and the child was taken to the hospital.

“Both of Marisa’s parents were found to be intoxicated to at least a noticeable degree,” Klamser said. Blood samples were taken, but the degree of intoxication, if any, had not been determined Monday.

The case will be viewed as a homicide investigation, he said, until detectives have resolved questions about child neglect or endangerment.

He explained that “even an accidental death of a child may carry criminal liability for homicide charges if the facts show that a certain level of neglect and/or endangerment caused the death to occur.”

But he said that does not mean that police suspect criminal liability on the Walkers’ part at this time.

The couple could not be reached for comment Monday. Reardon Simi Valley Mortuary, which is handling services for the child, has scheduled a graveside service at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Assumption Cemetery in Simi Valley.