A 3-year-old boy in Evansville, Ind., drowned after his mother allegedly passed out on a patio chair from drinking five large cans of beer while the child swam unsupervised in the family’s pool. Amie Jo Farber, 41, has been charged with neglect of a dependent causing death following the incident, which police say occurred while she was visibly intoxicated at the home of a family acquaintance.
Background
The incident unfolded at a residence in the 1200 block of N. Second Avenue. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, the homeowner reported that Farber arrived at his house around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday with her son. Farber asked if the boy could use the pool, and the homeowner agreed on the condition that she supervise him. Police noted that the homeowner was aware of Farber’s history with alcohol and observed that she appeared intoxicated upon arrival.
Farber and the homeowner sat outside while the boy floated in the pool. The homeowner stated he went inside for approximately 10 minutes. Upon returning, he discovered Farber unconscious in a patio chair. The boy was not visible, and his floatie was overturned in the water. The homeowner pulled the child from the pool, where he was floating face down, and initiated CPR while yelling for someone to call 911. During the emergency call, a woman was heard shouting, "She passed out drunk," as reported by authorities.
The Charges
Evansville Police Department officers responded to the scene at 4:44 p.m. and performed lifesaving measures before paramedics transported the boy to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The child’s identity has not been released to the public. Farber allegedly admitted to consuming five 25-ounce cans of Bud Ice "Big Ones"—totaling 125 ounces of beer—within the two hours she spent at the residence.
In her statement to police, Farber allegedly said she briefly entered the pool before getting out and lying down in the patio chair, where she "must've fallen asleep." She reportedly told investigators, "This is all my fault," without further elaboration. Farber was taken into custody and transported to the Vandenburgh County Jail. She is currently being held on a $25,000 bond. A blood sample was collected prior to her booking to determine her blood alcohol content at the time of the incident.
Key Takeaways
- Amie Jo Farber, 41, is charged with neglect of a dependent causing death.
- The incident occurred at a home in the 1200 block of N. Second Avenue in Evansville, Ind.
- Police allege Farber consumed five 25-ounce cans of Bud Ice in two hours.
- The homeowner left the patio for 10 minutes, returning to find Farber unconscious and the child submerged.
- The 3-year-old victim was found floating face down with an overturned floatie.
- Farber is being held on a $25,000 bond at Vandenburgh County Jail.
- A court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
What's Next
Farber is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday for her initial hearing. Prosecutors will likely present the toxicology results from the blood sample collected by Evansville police to support the neglect charge. The investigation remains open as authorities review the timeline of events and witness statements from the homeowner and emergency responders. The victim's family has not yet released a public statement regarding the tragedy.
Editorial Analysis
This case highlights the lethal consequences of impaired supervision, turning a routine afternoon at a friend's pool into a fatal tragedy. The specific detail of consuming 125 ounces of beer in just two hours underscores the severity of the alleged intoxication, which forms the core of the neglect charge. As the legal process begins, the focus will remain on whether the mother's level of impairment directly caused the child's death.