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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News AP Entertainment Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend December 23, 2006 Baby sitter won't be charged in infant's death Teen wasn't using drugs, alcohol when a 2-year-old boy she was watching drowned By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune A 17-year-old baby sitter won't be charged in the September drowning of a 2-year-old boy she was caring for, a Jackson County grand jury decided this week. The baby sitter found Joshua Tyler West, 2, floating unconscious and not breathing in an above-ground swimming pool behind his mother's home in the 300 block of North Ross Lane in the afternoon of Sept. 5. Jackson County Deputy District Attorney David Hoppe declined to comment on what was discussed during the grand jury hearing. He did say there were no alcohol, drugs or other illegal activity at the time of the incident. That separates this case from three recent child drownings in which the parents were prosecuted. The mother's drug use was ruled a factor in the death of an infant who drowned in a pool outside Callahan's Lodge in 2004 and she was sentenced to probation. A 29-year-old Medford woman with drug and abuse convictions was sentenced to serve six months in detention after her 2-year-old son drowned in an above-ground pool in 2005. A White City mother and her boyfriend are serving jail time after a 2-year-old drowned in a partially-drained above-ground pool, also in 2005. Advertisement During the investigation into Josh West's death, the baby sitter told police that the boy was unattended in the fenced backyard while she used the phone in the house. A drug test found no controlled substances in the baby sitter's urine and detectives found no evidence she was under the influence at the time of the drowning. "It is unfortunate," Hoppe said. "She will have to live with this her entire life." On Wednesday, the grand jury heard testimony on the case from Josh's mother, Rachel West, and a Medford police detective assigned to the case, the district attorney's office reported. They also watched a tape of the baby sitter's interview with police. "The baby sitter was cooperative with the investigation," Hoppe said. "The grand jury heard the evidence and didn't feel a criminal case was warranted." Emergency medical crews revived the boy and he was sent to Doernbecher's Children's Hospital in Portland in critical condition. After five days, his family decided to take Josh off a respirator, a press release from the Jackson County District Attorney's Office said. He breathed on his own for five days before dying on Sept. 15. A state medical examiner determined the cause of death was cerebral anoxia, the medical term for lack of oxygen to the brain, from drowning and that the death was an accident. Mail Tribune reporter Chris Conrad contributed to this story. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com