Police say witnesses found Amie Jo Farber unresponsive in a patio chair while her son was discovered in the backyard pool.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — An Indiana mother has been charged with neglect resulting in death after her 3-year-old son drowned in a backyard pool Saturday, with police alleging witnesses found her unresponsive in a patio chair while the child was in the water.
Amie Jo Farber, 41, was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail on Saturday night following the Sept. 19 drowning. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office public booking list shows Farber was booked at 9:12 p.m. Evansville police said emergency crews responded after a 911 caller reported that a 3-year-old boy had drowned at a home on North Second Avenue. The child was taken to a hospital after emergency workers attempted lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead.
According to police accounts reported by WFIE and other local news outlets, Farber and her son arrived at the home at about 2:30 p.m. and asked the homeowner if they could use the backyard pool. The homeowner agreed but told Farber that she needed to watch the boy, police said. The child was later described as playing in the pool with a float while Farber sat at a patio table nearby.
The homeowner told investigators that after going inside for a period of time, he returned and found Farber unresponsive in a patio chair and could no longer see the boy on the float, according to local reporting on the police affidavit. The child was then found unresponsive in the pool. One witness pulled him from the water and began CPR while another called 911, police said.
Police said the emergency call captured witnesses repeatedly trying to wake Farber. During the call, another woman could be heard alleging that Farber was intoxicated. The homeowner later told investigators that Farber had consumed about five 25-ounce beers during roughly two hours in the backyard, according to police accounts. Those statements are allegations contained in the investigation and have not been proven in court.
Investigators also alleged that the first officer to arrive saw Farber near trash cans apparently attempting to discard empty beer cans. Police reported finding several empty cans nearby and said Farber showed signs of impairment. Authorities have not publicly released a laboratory result establishing her blood alcohol level at the time of the drowning.
At the hospital, police said Farber told officers that she “must have fallen asleep” but did not know how long she had been asleep. Investigators obtained a warrant to have her blood tested for alcohol and drugs, according to the reports. No publicly released test results were identified Monday morning, leaving the laboratory findings among the unresolved parts of the investigation.
Farber is accused of neglect resulting in death. The charge is an allegation, and the criminal case has not been adjudicated. News reports published after her arrest differed over her bond status, and the public sheriff’s booking listing reviewed Monday confirmed the booking but did not resolve that discrepancy. No final court disposition had been reported.
Farber was also arrested in an unrelated 2023 case after Evansville police said a family member found her intoxicated while she was responsible for an infant. At the time, police reported charges that included neglect of a dependent and other offenses. Public reporting on the current drowning case has not established the final disposition of those earlier charges, and authorities have not confirmed whether the infant involved in 2023 was the child who died Saturday.
The 3-year-old boy’s name had not been publicly released in the reports reviewed Monday. The current case remains pending as authorities continue the legal process and await any additional evidence, including results from the blood testing obtained through the search warrant.
Author note: Last updated September 21, 2026.