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4-Year-Old Girl Drowns At Lakeland Hotel Pool

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TBO.com

Published: March 22, 2009

Updated: 03/22/2009 09:12 pm

A 4-year-old girl died Sunday afternoon after she fell into a pool at a Lakeland hotel and apparently drowned, police say.

Tia Green and another child wandered to the pool of the Kingston Lakeside Inn, 910 E. Memorial Blvd., after the person watching them fell asleep, Lakeland police spokeswoman Sgt. Terri Smith said.

Jacqueline Powell, 38, told police she was caring for the children at the motel. Powell cooked the children breakfast then fell asleep, Smith said. When she woke up, the children were not in the room.

Powell told police that the desk chair had been pushed near the door and the chain was unlatched.

Powell searched for the children and saw paramedics by the pool, Smith said.

Witnesses had found Tia in the swimming pool and called 911, Smith said. The child was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, where she later died.

Tia's 3-year-old companion was not hurt. Tia's father, Timothy Green, was not at the hotel at the time of the incident, Smith said.

The Lakeland Police Department received the call of the apparent drowning about 12:45 p.m.

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