New records raise questions about testing and treatment before the 18-month-old boy was pronounced dead at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center.
GILBERT, Ariz. — The mother of an 18-month-old boy who was pronounced dead at a Gilbert hospital and found alive in its morgue hours later is speaking publicly as her family prepares a complaint over the medical care he received.
Vincent Fiordilino arrived at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center about 6:04 p.m. Feb. 8 after he was found in a swimming pool and nearly drowned, according to records shared by the family’s attorney. The documents show a doctor ordered an arterial blood gas test at 6:08 p.m., but that test was canceled. Other laboratory samples were collected at 6:11 p.m. Vincent was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. He was later found alive when personnel arrived to retrieve him from the hospital’s morgue area.
Records reviewed by Arizona’s Family show officers were still asking about blood gas results shortly before Vincent was declared dead. Body-camera footage captured an officer asking at 6:13 p.m. whether those results were available, and hospital staff responded that they were not. The results cited in the new report were not available until 6:38 p.m., 18 minutes after Vincent had been pronounced dead. The family’s attorney is questioning whether medical decisions were made before important test results were available.
Vincent’s mother, Alexus Fiordilino, said she continues to relive what happened. Speaking publicly about the case months later, she described believing that her son had died and then receiving word hours later that he was alive. “I thought I lost my baby and he was back,” she told Arizona’s Family. She said the experience remains with her every day.
The emergency began after family members found Vincent floating face-down in a swimming pool during a gathering on Feb. 8. Gilbert police and other first responders performed lifesaving measures before paramedics took him to Mercy Gilbert. Police records released earlier this year said officers and others later noticed possible signs of life after he had been pronounced dead. One officer documented concerns that the child’s chest and stomach appeared to be moving.
At approximately 11:52 p.m., personnel from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office arrived to retrieve Vincent and discovered that he was breathing and had a pulse, according to earlier police reports. He was taken for further medical treatment and survived. The discovery came more than five hours after the hospital’s recorded time of death. His family’s attorney has said the child continues to deal with serious medical issues.
Records identified the emergency physician involved as Dr. Aryan Toosi. An attorney representing Toosi told People that the doctor remains committed to providing high-quality care and wishes Vincent continued healing and recovery. The attorney said patient privacy laws and pending litigation prevented him from discussing details of the treatment. Earlier reporting said Toosi was not facing criminal charges related to the hospital’s handling of the child.
The family’s attorney said a complaint against the hospital and doctor is expected to be filed. The Arizona Attorney General’s Office told Arizona’s Family that it had not decided whether it would review the matter. Records cited by the station also show the doctor did not sign his report until the day after Vincent was found alive.
The near-drowning itself was separately reviewed by law enforcement. Gilbert police had recommended negligence-related charges against Vincent’s parents, but the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced in July that prosecutors would not file charges. The office said the evidence did not meet its charging standard of a reasonable likelihood of conviction. That decision was separate from questions surrounding the medical treatment Vincent received at the hospital.
Alexus Fiordilino said she believes her son’s outcome could have been different if doctors had waited for additional test results before declaring him dead. The family’s planned complaint and any possible review by state authorities could determine what additional scrutiny the hospital treatment receives. No final finding of medical wrongdoing has been publicly established.
Author note: Last updated October 22, 2026.