Mother arrested after Orange County child dies during bath

A woman was arrested after her 2-year-old son died in an Orange County home overnight, apparently while being bathed, authorities said.

According to the Placentia Police Department, a call was made at 9:08 p.m. claiming that the boy was found unresponsive. First responders found the boy in the home's bathroom and attempted life-saving measures before transporting him to a local hospital.

The boy, who remains unidentified publicly, was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Investigations revealed that the mother, later identified a 40-year-old woman, was giving her son a bath in the bathroom using a plastic storage bin. At that time, she left the boy unattended in the bin for about two minutes to retrieve soap.

When she returned, the boy was face down and unresponsive in the bin. She attempted CPR, police said, but was unsuccessful. 

The mother then harmed herself with a sharp object, police said. She remained in the bathroom for about six hours before she and her son were found by a family member, who then called authorities.

She was later discharged from the hospital. After her release, she was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse causing great bodily injury.

A total of five children, including the now-deceased 2-year-old, were living inside the home.

Police told CBS News Los Angeles that the boy's father was cooperating with investigators and the department was in the process of obtaining a search warrant for the Placentia home, which authorities said was standard procedure.

A police spokesperson said there appears to be no history of prior child abuse in the home.

No additional details were immediately made available.