(Stuart) A woman has been arrested following a fatal drowning in Stuart.
The Stuart Police Department arrested 30-year-old Gifty Gilman, of Stuart, Wednesday evening in the 500 block of Max Drive on an arrest warrant charging her with Child Endangerment Resulting in Death.
The charge stems from an investigation by the Stuart Police Department into the drowning of a two-year-old child who was found unresponsive in a pond near the Union Estates housing development in Stuart on May 27, 2026.
The child was transported to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines following the incident and, despite extensive medical efforts, passed away on June 4, 2026.
According to the report, during the investigation, officers learned that Gilman – the only adult residing in the residence – left the residence and was away for several hours while six minor children remained at the residence. The victim was not discovered missing until after Gilman returned to the residence. The exact length of time the child had been absent from the residence is unknown.
The investigation determined that on May 26, one day prior to the drowning incident, the child exited the residence through a bedroom window without adult supervision and was later located in a field adjacent to the same pond where the child was found on May 27. The report says Gilman was aware of this incident. On May 27, while Gilman was away, the child again exited the residence through the bedroom window and traveled to the pond unsupervised where the child was later found unresponsive in the water.
The Stuart Police Department had made multiple referrals to the Department of Health and Human Services prior to this incident due to reports of young children climbing out of windows and wandering through the neighborhood without adult supervision. Officers had also spoken directly with Gilman regarding those incidences.
The report states that based on the totality of the circumstances, there is probable cause to believe that Gilman knowingly acted in a manner creating a substantial risk to the victim’s physical health and safety. There is further probable cause to believe Gilman willfully deprived the two-year-old child of supervision appropriate to their age by leaving the residence for several hours despite knowledge of the child’s prior escape through the same bedroom window and the child’s presence near the same pond the day before the incident.
The investigation remains active and is being conducted by the Stuart Police Department.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
