Brother of child found in motel bathtub arrested

TYLER — The brother of a six-year-old child that died after they were found unresponsive in the bathtub of a Tyler motel has been arrested. On Friday, Tyler Police Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh told KTBB News, “Just based on interviews with the 12-year-old and other evidence found during the investigation, we were able to determine that the 12-year-old was responsible for the manslaughter of the six-year old.” The unidentified 12-year-old minor was transported to the Juvenile Attention Center in Tyler and charged with the second degree felony. The case will be filed with the Smith County District Attorney’s Office.

Erbaugh went on to say, “When you consider manslaughter, it is recklessly causing death. In Texas we have criminally negligent homicide which is negligently causing death. Recklessly causing the death is manslaughter and intentionally causing the death is murder. So, that is how you have to look at the three types of homicide. This one is manslaughter which is a second degree felony.”

Officers were called to the Town House Motel on Gentry around 5:00 April 15. The child was transported by ambulance to a Tyler hospital, then transported to Children’s Hospital in Dallas. He was removed from life support April 20, and did not survive. His body was sent for autopsy at Southwest Forensics in Dallas.