The Ocean County Prosecutor announced the results of an autopsy conducted on a 2-year-old girl who died after falling into a septic tank.
On Monday, around 4:50 p.m., police say they were contacted by a woman who reported she could not find her 2-year-old daughter. Police arrived at the home on East Spruce Street in Lakewood and began to search for the girl, identified as J.C.
Investigators say search teams found a 3-feet-wide hole in the yard that led to a septic tank. They called in the Lakewood Township Public Works Department to pump water out from the tank. Around 7:30 p.m., police say the water level dropped and emergency crews found the girl's body, which they carefully removed.
Investigators believe J.C. was playing in the yard with her four siblings when she fell down the hole into the septic tank. They also say the girl's mother was inside her home with her 2-month-old child when the accident happened.
On Tuesday, Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford made the following statement regarding the girl's death:
Today, an autopsy of the 2 year old victim was conducted by Dr. Ian Hood. Dr. Hood concluded that the child died as a result of accidental drowning. At this point in time, there is no indication of foul play or trauma. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office will continue its investigation into the circumstances of this death in order to rule out any criminal action that contributed to the death of this young child.
Police continue to investigate the incident. Anyone with information should call Detective Thomas Tiernan of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office at 732-929-2027.
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