Father of toddler who drowned in trailer park pool charged with murder, endangerment
A Wichita father arrested after his 2-year-old boy drowned in a trailer park swimming pool last week has been charged with murder.
Police say William K. Kabutu, 44, was intoxicated on July 7 when he let the toddler, Omari Garcia, and his 4-year-old son bypass fencing around the neighborhood’s pool, in the 1900 block of East 54th Street South. Omari got into the water but couldn’t keep his head above the surface. A passerby reported the boy’s body floating in the pool at around 10 p.m. and called 911.
Authorities arrested Kabutu on Friday. He made a first appearance in court on Monday, where he was formally charged with first-degree felony murder and an alternative count of second-degree murder that alleges the death was unintentional but occurred under reckless circumstances. He’s also charged with two counts of aggravated child endangerment, court records show.
Kabutu remains in the Sedgwick County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bond. His next court date is July 23. A defense attorney listed for him in court records did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the charges.
Omari’s aunt told The Eagle over the weekend that her nephew loved to sing, help vacuum his home and play. Last week was “the first time in months” that the boys had seen their father, Roslina Foust said in messages.
The toddler’s funeral is scheduled for Wednesday. A GoFundMe account to help pay for expenses related to Omari’s death had raised $4,550 out of $10,000 by Monday afternoon.
This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 3:20 PM.
