Toddler who drowned liked to sing and play with cousins and big brothers, family said

The toddler who drowned in a pool Tuesday liked to sing, help vacuum the house and play with his cousins and big brothers, according to a family member.

Omari Garcia, 2, was pulled from a south Wichita neighborhood pool by Wichita firefighters after a passerby called in the drowning around 10 p.m. Tuesday. The toddler and his 4-year-old brother had been taken to the pool and allowed to bypass the pool fence by their father, William Kabutu, who was intoxicated, officer Charley Davidson said in a news release.

Kabutu was arrested Friday on suspicion of felony murder and two counts of aggravated child endangerment.

The boys’ mother, Diocelina Garcia, “would have never let them be with him if she suspected anything like this would happen,” Rosalina Foust, the victim’s aunt, said in a message. “This was the first time in months they saw him and she is being so hard on herself for not somehow knowing something was going to go wrong even though there’s no way she could have. You know someone for years and think you actually know them and you have to trust they will look after their children with the same care that you look after your own.”

Foust set up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs. By 12:30 p.m. Saturday, it had $3,645 out of a $10,000 goal.

Foust said her nephew liked to play with his two older brothers, ages 4 and 6, and his six cousins.

“We have a big family so he enjoyed playing with all his cousins, being flirty when he saw a pretty girl,” Foust said. “He loved trains and singing with his uncle.”

The funeral is planned for Wednesday. The GoFundMe can be found here.

This story was originally published July 11, 2020 at 1:06 PM.