Toledo mom pleads guilty in death of baby at Lake County hotel

PAINESVILLE, Ohio (WOIO) - A Toledo woman has admitted to causing the death of her infant son after leaving the baby alone in a bathtub at a Lake County hotel.

Kaycie Eckhoff, 23, pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of reckless homicide and child endangering, both felonies of the third degree.

One count of involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, was dismissed as part of a plea deal.

Records show Mentor Police were called to a room at Suburban Extended Stay on Reynolds Road on Feb. 15, 2021 for a possible drowning in a bathtub.

6-month-old Lelind Ireland was taken to Lake West Hospital. He died the next day.

According to the Lake County Coroner’s Office, the baby’s cause of death was of “asphyxia by drowning.”

At Tuesday’s change of plea hearing, Eckhoff admitted to leaving her son in a filled bathtub “without proper supervision”.

Both Eckhoff and the baby’s father, 25-year-old Devon Ireland of Toledo, were indicted by a grand jury last August.

Court records show Ireland pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, and child endangering charges in connection with the baby’s death.

He is currently out of jail on $20,000 bond while awaiting trial, which has been continued until April.

Sentencing for Eckhoff has been scheduled for March 17, but there is a chance she may not spend any time behind bars.

While Eckhoff faces up to six years in prison, the court says she is also eligible for community control sanctions.

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