A Boca Raton mother has been arrested and charged with child neglect following an incident where her two-year-old daughter nearly drowned in their home’s pool in Boca Woods. The incident occurred on November 29th, 2022, and Gargi Shah was arrested on April 12th, 2023.
The Drowning Incident
According to an arrest affidavit from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the toddler almost lost her life after being unsupervised for 7-8 minutes before being found face down at the bottom of the pool. PBSO deputies and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue personnel responded to the scene after receiving a 9-1-1 call.
The mother, Gargi Shah, told deputies that she found her daughter in the pool. The child was attempting to grab a ball from the pool when she fell in, as captured on CCTV. The young girl is not a strong swimmer, which Shah admitted to investigators. The couple was looking at paint samples with a maintenance worker when the incident occurred.
CPR and Medical Treatment
Once the couple realized the girl was missing, they looked for her and immediately found her in the pool. Shah jumped into the pool and pulled the girl out, beginning CPR immediately. The maintenance worker called 9-1-1 while Shah performed CPR. The girl started breathing and vomiting water. PBCFR responded and took the girl to West Boca Medical Center.
Charges Filed
PBSO investigators filed a warrant for the arrest of both parents, claiming that they neglected to provide the necessary supervision to maintain the physical well-being of their child. Shah was the only one arrested, and she was released the following day without bond. It is unknown whether charges will be filed against the husband, Nayan Pasad, who was originally named as a co-defendant in the arrest affidavit. Shah is represented by defense attorney Steven Sessa, according to court records.