Toddler found dead in creek after wandering from home, SC deputies say. 2 arrested
The search for a missing toddler came to a tragic end in South Carolina, deputies said.
The 3-year-old girl was found dead Monday, May 30, after she drowned in a Darlington County creek, WBTW and WBMF reported, citing the county sheriff’s office.
On Tuesday, Sheriff James Hudson confirmed Christian Deon James and Nashanti McCoullough were charged with homicide by child abuse in the toddler’s death.
James and McCullough reportedly left the girl unsupervised while she was in their care, WMBF reported, citing arrest warrants.
The toddler “walked off” earlier in the afternoon, Hudson said, sparking an hourslong search. Coroner Todd Hardee confirmed the girl was found in Black Creek, according to the station.
“We spent about three hours out here, doing a search and rescue we called in every resource that we could get our hands on,” Hudson told WPDE. “We went from door to door asking people, and there were people out here who had good camera systems that gave us some indications of what direction the child was traveling.”
Authorities haven’t released the child’s identity.
McClatchy News reached out to the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office and the coroner’s office for more information Tuesday and was awaiting a response.
Investigators said the toddler was in the care of a relative when she vanished, WPDE reported.
Deputies didn’t release additional details.
Darlington County is about a 70-mile drive northeast from Columbia.
This story was originally published May 21, 2024 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Toddler found dead in creek after wandering from home, SC deputies say. 2 arrested."