Onawa Police Believe Mother Drowned Baby Under Faucet - FOX 42: Omaha News, Sports and Weather; kptm.com |

ONAWA, IA (KPTM)- A mother accused of drowning her own baby is facing murder charges. It all began back in February in Onawa, Iowa when 15-month-old Markis Dahms died.

Police say the boy's own mother killed him. 25-year-old Ashley Cameron was arrested Wednesday. She is being held on a $1 million bond.

The little boy's death has been under investigation since February 11th. Police said the boy's mom called 911 from her home in Onawa. Police found 15-month-old Markis and said he was not breathing.  An autopsy showed he died from drowning.

"He was in the bath tub and his face was being held under the faucet and his mouth and nasal cavity filled with water," said Mitch Mortvedt with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

This is the first murder case in Onawa in almost 40 years.   

"Look at the paramedics, the law enforcement officers, and everybody involved, It is hard but you have to remain professional and do your best to investigate the incident," said Jim Fouts, Onawa Assistant Police Chief.

One of the mom's neighbors didn't want to speak on camera, but she says she was devastated by the news. She said Cameron is a good mom and she can't believe this would happen.

Police couldn't talk about very many details. They said they can't even speculate on if the death could have been an accident. But under Iowa law, if a child dies and the adult shows extreme indifference, it's considered first degree murder.