Florida father arrested after infant daughter drowns in bathtub as he allegedly plays video games

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ST. CLOUD, Fla. – A Florida father has been arrested after his infant daughter drowned in a bathtub as he allegedly played video games.

Deputies said Joshua Ruiz-Martinez, 32, is facing aggravated manslaughter charges.

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What led to the arrest of Joshua Ruiz-Martinez?

The backstory:

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The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said it responded to a report of an infant drowning on April 21, 2024, at 680 Steerview St. in St. Cloud, Florida.

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Martinez said he decided to give his daughter a bath after she was being fussy, and he filled the bathtub with water up to her stomach level, deputies stated. The arrest warrant shows Martinez then left the child for three minutes while he went to get her a bottle. When he came back, she was submerged under the water.

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Although members of the St. Cloud Fire Rescue said they attempted life-saving measures on the child, she was pronounced dead after being transported to HCA Florida Osceola East Emergency Room. 

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Reports show Martinez, the child’s father, said he placed his daughter in the bathtub and left her unattended, returning later on to find her submerged face down in the bathtub.

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The Orange/Osceola County Medical Examiner’s Office said it conducted a postmortem examination on the child and determined the cause of death to be accidental drowning.

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Who is Joshua Ruiz-Martinez?

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What we know:

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An arrest warrant for Martinez states he was the primary caretaker of the child while his partner worked.

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Reports show the family lived in a second-floor bedroom, which included an ensuite bathroom and a walk-in closet that was converted into a gaming space for Martinez.

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Martinez told officials that on the day of the incident he spent the day playing a computer game and intermittently tending to the child. 

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However, deputies said what Martinez was saying and the timestamps on his computer and phone did not match up.

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Reports show Martinez was actively engaged in his game up until moments before discovering the child’s drowning.

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Later on during an interview, officials said Martinez admitted to being responsible for his daughter’s death.

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The arrest warrant states that when confronted with the evidence, Martinez got emotional and said, “I killed my daughter for a game? Please tell me I did not kill my daughter for a game.”

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What happens now?

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What’s next:

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Records show that Martinez is being charged with Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child. 

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Martinez currently resides in the Osceola County Jail with no bond. 

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