A 28-year-old Wisconsin mother has been arrested in connection with the death of her 13-month-old son, who drowned after she allegedly left him unattended in a deep bath.
Selena Doxzon was arrested last week and charged with one count of neglecting a child resulting in death, according to court documents.
According to a copy of the criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime, on May 15, 2025, a woman reported hearing her neighbor — later identified as Doxzon — “screaming from the lower unit of the duplex.” When the caller went downstairs, she reported seeing Doxzon holding her son. The caller reported that the boy’s “body was lifeless” and his “skin was blue in color.”
Doxzon was on the phone with 911 at the time and was “too upset to effectively communicate,” according to police. Paramedics arrived at the Milwaukee home in the 5000 block of 53rd Street shortly after and took over CPR from the mother before transporting him to Children’s Wisconsin for treatment.
Doctors tried lifesaving procedures but were ultimately unsuccessful. The boy was pronounced dead at 9:45 a.m., according to police.
Doxzon told police that when her 1- and 3-year-old sons awoke between 5:30 and 6 a.m. that morning, she fed them before giving them a bath. She stated that she placed her sons in the tub with the water “just above the height of [the victim’s] belly” while he was seated.
After washing the kids, Doxzon said she “decided to let the boys play in the bathtub,” leaving them in the bathroom while she went to the kitchen to make pancakes and sausage, which usually takes two to three minutes.
When the food was finished cooking, Doxzon said she started washing the dishes. She had been in the kitchen “making pancakes and sausage” for about four minutes when her three-year-old son walked in, soaking wet.
“The defendant entered the bathroom to get a towel. As the Defendant entered the bathroom, he noticed [the victim’s] body floating in the water facing up. [The victim] was unresponsive, and the water was near his face.
The Defendant immediately pulled [the victim] out of the water and began screaming for assistance. The defendant patted the victim’s back, but he did not respond.
The victim’s lips were blue in color. The defendant placed [the victim] on the bathroom floor and attempted CPR. Water came out of the defendant’s mouth as he applied chest compressions to the victim.
An autopsy determined that the toddler died from “asphyxiation as a result of drowning.”
Doxzon stated that she typically bathes her children separately and has only recently started bathing the younger child in the bathtub rather than the sink.
The toddler could not walk on his own, but he could stand up and “cruise” around the house while holding onto objects, according to police.
In a post-Miranda interview, Doxzon allegedly admitted that she “should have had far less water in the bathtub” to ensure her child’s safety. She also stated that she couldn’t see the bathroom from the kitchen where she was preparing food.
On Tuesday, the judge set Doxzon’s bond at $10,000. She is scheduled to appear in court again for a preliminary hearing on May 30.
