1-year-old boy drowns in east Charlotte creek, police say

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A family and community members are heartbroken after a 1-year-old boy drowned in a creek behind his east Charlotte home Wednesday afternoon.

The boy was playing with other children around 5 p.m. outside of a house on Terrybrook Drive and somehow got away from the adult in charge of supervising him, and fell into the creek.

Channel 9 spoke with neighbors who said the caregiver was frantic by the time police arrived.

"She was just saying she didn't mean it, and she went to the bathroom for a minute and came out, she couldn't find the baby, and they found the baby in the creek," said Jerica Lewis. "I feel very said and emotional about it."

Paramedics rushed the boy to the hospital, but he died a short time later.

The boy's stepfather is pushing for charges to be filed. He said he and his wife trusted a family friend to watch their son.

No charges have been filed but police are still investigating.

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