Pagan
KINGSTON – The Marlboro mother, who left her 10-month-old daughter alone in a bathtub full of water resulting in the baby’s drowning, was sentenced in Ulster County Court on Thursday to “a period of local incarceration” and five years of supervised probation. Kayla Pagan, 26, pled guilty in March to the felony of criminally negligent homicide for the death of Lilliana Ryerson at their home at 8 Hideaway Lane in Marlborough.
The death occurred in the evening of July 8, 2016, when Pagan left her daughter with toys for several minutes in a plugged bathtub filling with water while she attended to other matters inside and outside the house.
The child’s father, Richard Ryerson, came home from work to find his daughter. Both the father and a neighbor performed CPR with instructions from a 911 operator but that did not save the baby’s life.
Lillian’s father was present in court with several members of his and Kayla’s families. He asked the court to let Kayla Pagan out of jail and require strict supervision and counseling for her.
“This is a terribly sad case,” said District Attorney Holley Carnright. “It is clear to us that what happened was not intentional. Ms. Pagan accepted responsibility from the day of the incident.” Carnright said his officer feels that “nothing would be gained by the imposition of an additional jail sentence.”
