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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 6, 2005 Mothers charged in separate cases of kids drowning By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Mothers of two unsupervised toddlers who drowned last fall have been charged with manslaughter. Detectives Wednesday arrested Crystal Ann DeLap, 25, and 22-year-old Kayla Christine LeMaster in the separate drowning deaths of their children. The cases were reviewed late last year by Jackson County’s child fatality review team, which recommended criminal charges, prosecutors said. Indictments against the two women were filed Tuesday in Circuit Court. DeLap’s 2-year-old son, Stephen Randolph Horvath, died Sept. 3 after he fell into a swimming pool at the Sams Valley home of her boyfriend, Steven John Hunt. Hunt, 52, also has been arrested in the case. Stephen apparently climbed up a ladder into the partially drained above-ground pool. While chasing some small plastic balls, he slipped on the slick vinyl and drowned in about 2½ feet of water. Investigators said his 4-year-old brother tried to get an adult’s help but was told to stay outside. Lacking a self-locking gate required by county code, the pool was installed without a permit, said Detective Colin Fagan of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. The children’s play area was immediately adjacent to the pool and was not visible from the house, he added. Advertisement "We found no evidence that Mr. Hunt or Ms. DeLap took any steps to make that area safe for the children to play," Fagan said. Prosecutors allege that, acting with extreme indifference to the value of human life, Hunt and DeLap recklessly caused Stephen’s death. They each face counts of first- and second-degree manslaughter, second-degree child neglect and second-degree criminal mistreatment, according to court records. First-degree manslaughter, which requires the "extreme indifference" legal standard, carries a mandatory prison sentence of 12 years. Second-degree manslaughter requires a term of six years and three months in prison under Oregon law. Stephen was DeLap’s second child to die in less than a year. In February, DeLap’s infant daughter either suffocated or succumbed to sudden infant death syndrome while sleeping with her, said Beth Heckert, chief deputy district attorney for Jackson County. County medical examiners ruled that death as an accident. Hunt and DeLap were arrested Wednesday at the sheriff’s department as they tried to obtain a permit to sell second-hand guns over the Internet. Hunt, however, is barred from possessing firearms under the conditions of his probation for a November harassment conviction. A charge of menacing also is pending against him and scheduled for a Jan. 27 trial. The couple were held at the Jackson County Jail Wednesday in lieu of $75,000 bail each. DeLap’s 4-year-old son remains in foster care after his removal from her care in September, Fagan said. The boys’ father, Edward Horvath, of Chiloquin, has filed a wrongful death suit against Hunt, according to court records. In the second case, LeMaster was arrested in the lobby of the Josephine County juvenile justice center where she appeared for a child custody hearing, Fagan said. The hearing would have determined the custody of an infant born to LeMaster after the death of her 13-month-old daughter, Janayah, the detective said. Janayah died Oct. 5 after falling into a water feature at Callahan’s Lodge south of Ashland. The child apparently made her way to the 1-foot-deep fountain when her mother fell asleep on the hotel’s lawn. The family’s car broke down near Callahan’s during a return trip to Grants Pass from Southern California, said Sheriff’s Capt. Joe Puckett. LeMaster is indicted for second-degree manslaughter, second-degree child neglect and second-degree criminal mistreatment. She remained in the Jackson County Jail late Wednesday in lieu of $40,000 bail. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Investments & Loans Advertisement s