A Cranbrook woman was sentenced to one year in prison Thursday for the drowning death of a 19-month-old toddler she was babysitting.
Tammy Bouvette, 29, pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death after toddler Iyanna Teeple was left alone in a bathtub in May 2011.
Police say Bouvette placed a 9-1-1 call at the time, telling the operator she found the little girl unresponsive in the tub. She died in a Calgary hospital three days later.
An autopsy revealed that the 19-month-old suffered head injuries before her death. Bouvette told police Iyanna had tipped over in a booster seat earlier in the day.
She was originally charged with second-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser negligence charge. Bouvette was also sentenced to one year for an attempted armed robbery of a gas station while on bail.
With time served, she’ll remain in custody for six more months before beginning a two-year probation.
When news first broke of Bouvette’s arrest, those who knew her said they had a hard time believing the mother of four could commit the crime.
Iyanna’s father Jason Teeple said the family found Bouvette to be trustworthy and suspected she simply left the toddler alone in the tub.
