Described as an “amazing mom,” a Naples woman accused in the drowning death of her 8-month-old daughter in June will remain in jail.
Collier Circuit Judge John McGowan on Monday denied the Sept. 13 motion filed by public defender Kathleen Smith on behalf of Nicole Laber, 29.
Her husband, Shane Laber, said in correspondence Monday with this news organization that Nicole Laber made “a really bad choice,” but “is actually quite the amazing mom and person.”
He said having her motion denied is a “small battle.”
“My big battle is that I get custody of my boys,” Shane Laber said. He didn’t indicate how many children the couple has.
Jail records indicate that Nicole Laber remains in custody at the Collier County Jail on a $50,000 bond since her June 23 arrest.
She’s charged with the aggravated manslaughter of her daughter. Authorities haven’t released the baby’s name.
According to the affidavit, Nicole Laber, during a morning 911 call on June 17, claimed the child had drowned in her dog’s water bowl.
Prior coverage: Naples mom confessed to baby’s drowning, court records indicate
Deputies had responded to her home around 7:40 a.m. June 17. They performed chest compressions on the infant until paramedics and firefighters arrived with advanced lifesaving measures and took over, the sheriff’s office reported.
Nicole Laber was crying hysterically and having difficulty speaking, according to the report. Professionals at NCH North Hospital declared the baby dead.
When officers returned to the home, they saw the dog’s bowl was on the kitchen counter while a towel extended on the floor near the front door.
Next to the dog’s bowl, they saw a blue marijuana pipe with residue inside, the report indicates. Next to it, they reported seeing a container labeled as medical marijuana, prescribed to Nicole Laber.
Nicole Laber denied using the medical marijuana that morning.
Authorities said the bottom of the bathtub appeared wet with fecal matter, while the drain seemed “stopped up with some sort of toy.”
Two days later, on June 19, Nicole Laber contacted authorities, saying she wanted to review her original statements and changed her story, the report indicates.
Shane Laber told authorities he suspected she lied to him about the drowning when he saw the fecal matter on the bathtub. He confronted his spouse and she confessed that the child had drowned in the bathtub, the report indicates.
She then told authorities she left her daughter with around 1 or 2 inches of water as she went to the other restroom in the house. She said she found her daughter floating unresponsive.
Deputies determined Nicole Laber had left the infant unattended in a bathtub while strapped to a booster seat, which tipped, trapping the child.
“It became evident that the child victim drowned in the water that the defendant herself had initially filled the bathtub with,” the arrest affidavit says.
Nicole Laber is next due in court Dec. 14 for a case management conference.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at [email protected] or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples mom charged in baby’s drowning remains jailed on $50,000 bond
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1119x78:1121x80)/gayle-king-portrait-2000-994e6d2c1faf48178329452461108a75.jpg)
