Mother charged with little boy's drowning

A six-year-old boy is dead and a two-year old girl is in critical condition, while their mother has been arrested after a possible drowning incident at the Brownsville Sports Park on Sunday afternoon, police said.

In a press release, Brownsville police said Maria Elizabeth Perrez-Mata, 31, is charged with two counts of endangerment of a child after police responded to the park at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Her son was later pronounced dead at Valley Regional Medical Center, while her daughter was air lifted to Rio Grande Medical Center in McAllen, the release said.

The little girl was in critical condition as of 10 p.m. Sunday night, the press release said.

According to the police release, the possible drowning occurred in the “man-made pond” near the Sports Park’s playground.

At the time, both children were rescued from the pond by witnesses, but were unresponsive, the release said.

Perez-Mata was detained at the scene and witnesses told police she was not nearby the area to “effectively supervise her children,” the release said.

Brownsville Sports Park Superintendent Tuffy Martinez declined to comment on the incident, saying “All questions need to be referred to City Hall.”

He also would not confirm that no swimming is allowed at the Sports Park, though on the facility’s website, No. 7 under the rules and regulations section states “no swimming allowed.”

The Brownsville Sports Park website lists two lakes on its grounds.

The case is under investigation pending further charges, the police release said.