An Ohio woman is facing charges after a Black 11-year-old, in her care during a boating trip, drowned in Lake Erie.
Kristen Gerrie, 41, was arrested on Friday and is facing a felony child endangerment charge. She was released on Tuesday after posting a $50,000 bond.
Authorities said she took 11-year-old Angelique Cunningham on a boat trip with 38-year-old Jonathan Ciha on Wednesday, July 1.
WTVG reported that Lucas County Sheriff Michael Navarre said the little girl was missing less than 15 minutes after the boat left Meinke Marina in Jerusalem Township.
The Lucas County Coroner’s Office says a little girl’s body was found near the shore in Jerusalem Township on Sunday, according to the outlet.
The body was identified as Cunningham. The coroner said her cause of death was an accidental drowning.
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Family told ABC 13 Cunningham was in Gerrie’s care when she went missing. They added that Gerrie was their neighbor.
The body of Chia, who was the boat’s owner, was recovered Thursday morning after a horrified boater called 911, according to the New York Post. His cause of death was ruled accidental drowning, but additional details have not been released.
The boat was also found Thursday at the nearby West Sister Island.
Gerrie’s charge was upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony on Monday. It’s unclear if she will face any more charges. It’s also unclear if she was driving the boat at the time of the incident.
Authorities determined that Gerrie never called 911 after Ciha and Cunningham entered the water.
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WTVG reported that Gerrie swam back to shore after the accident, called a friend for a ride, and never called 911. It was Angelique’s mother who notified authorities.
“She’s telling her truth; however, we believe there’s a much bigger truth out there,” Capt. Robert Chromik told ABC 13.
Investigators added that Angelique was not a strong swimmer.
Gerrie told the judge on Monday via video that she will be staying with family. Per her bond conditions, she is not allowed to have contact with the Cunningham family.
“She was not a babysitter. She was a very close friend of the family, and they felt comfortable enough to allow her to go with them on a recreational boat ride,” Chromik said.
Atlanta Black Star reached out to authorities to learn more about Gerrie’s involvement in the case.
