An Ohio mother, Sharon Rose O’Hara, 39, was arrested and charged with multiple charges after local prosecutors allege she submerged her baby’s head underwater at Caesar Creek State Park in Waynesville, Ohio. in July. O’Hara faces three counts of child endangerment and one count of felonious assault.
According Warren County ProsecutorsWitnesses in the park observed O’Hara’s disturbing actions. They claim he slammed his 3-month-old son’s car seat into the ground before allegedly submerging him, with the child still strapped in, under the water.
As the situation worsened, O’Hara is said to have removed the child from the carrier and repeatedly submerged the baby’s head underwater. The actions were witnessed by horrified bystanders, some of whom rushed to help the baby, while others called the authorities, they said. WXIX.
Prosecutors further revealed that O’Hara’s second child, a 9-year-old boy, reported to police that both children had not been properly cared for in the days leading up to the incident. Despite the seriousness of the alleged actions, it remains unclear why O’Hara was not arrested at the scene on the day of the incident.
It also took almost six months for charges to be brought against her. Following their arrest, the children were reportedly placed in the custody of a relative, although it is unknown whether this occurred immediately after the July incident or after O’Hara’s arrest this week.
O’Hara is currently being held at the Warren County Jail and is awaiting her initial court date, scheduled for December 20. Jail records do not indicate bond or a defense attorney at this time. This case follows another recent tragedy in Ohio involving a child. Just a week earlier, an 8-year-old boy, D’Angelo Alcorn, died after accidentally shooting himself in Akron, he told the newspaper. Akron Beacon-Journal.
The boy, described as “full of life” and always smiling, managed to access an unsecured gun in his home, leading to the tragic accident. His mother, Shawnee Alcorn, has since urged the community to remember her son for his cheerful nature, rather than the tragic circumstances surrounding his death.