Woman Charged With Child Abuse After Allegedly Attempting To Drown Daughter And Nephew At OKC Pool

A woman is charged with child abuse after she allegedly tried to drown her young daughter and nephew. The charges stem from an incident that happened at Will Rogers Family Aquatic Center in June.

Police say the woman held the children’s faces underwater nearly drowning them but thankfully lifeguards and other visitors saved them.

During a busy day at the pool on June 27, 2024, two children were found floating facedown in the water.

“Lifeguards jumped into action with the help of a patron as well, and got those kids out of the water,” said Mason Williams, Unit Operations Supervisor for the City of Oklahoma City.

The two cousins, a 4-year-old girl and 6-year-old boy, survived. However, a subsequent two-month investigation uncovered disturbing evidence that this was more than a horrible accident.

Flor Ontiveros, the girl’s mother, and the boy’s aunt was arrested and now charged with two counts of child abuse by injury.

Court documents show during a visit to the Will Rogers Family Aquatic Center, Ontiveros “pushed the children’s faces underwater, forcing them to breathe underwater, causing them to lose consciousness.”

Witnesses at the pool told officers the woman held her nephew’s entire body and head underwater. Multiple people yelled at her to stop, according to the police report. While on the scene, officers noted Ontiveros was “smiling and speaking calmly about the incident.”

A probable cause affidavit shows during a forensic interview, the little girl confirmed her mother pushed her face underwater. She said her “eyes were open” and she was “breathing water,” according to the court document.

During an interview with Ontiveros, police say she was adamant she did not do this, however, later confessed that this was “something she could have done.”

Both children were treated at the hospital. A Department of Human Services investigation is ongoing. Ontiveros is being held at the Oklahoma County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond.