Officials: 2 kids died of heat, dad charged with manslaughter

Editor's note: Zionna Ervin's name was misspelled in previous versions of this story.

TAMPA - When Michael Ervin brought the apparently lifeless bodies of his two children to the Brandon Regional Hospital earlier this month, doctors from all over the hospital jumped into action in an unsuccessful attempt to save their lives.

Ervin, meanwhile, fell asleep several times while doctors were trying to resuscitate his two small children.

That's according to Ervin's arrest affidavit. The Valrico man was arrested today and charged with two counts of aggravated manslaughter in the Aug. 13 deaths of his two children, 18-month-old Zionna Ervin and 5-month-old Kaden Warren.

Also in the affidavit: A witness at the hospital says Michael Ervin appeared lethargic when he brought his children in, and another man says he and Ervin had smoked pot earlier that day.

Authorities have released few details on the cause of death other than that the children had elevated core body temperatures. The arrest affidavit says Zionna's core temperature was 109 degrees; Kaden's was 105 degrees.

Today, the sheriff's office said the medical examiner's office ruled the cause of death to be environmental hyperthermia. The sheriff's office earlier this month got a warrant to search a car but has not confirmed whether the children died from being left in a hot vehicle.

According to the sheriff's office, Ervin told detectives he started watching the children at his Valrico home at about 9 a.m. Aug. 13 while the baby's mother, Enidlin Warren, was at work. He told investigators that after an unspecified amount of time he noticed the kids were not moving, and that he then drove them to the hospital.

The arrest affidavit, though, says Robert Beausejour Jr. told investigators Ervin came to his house at about 11 a.m. that day with Zionna and Kaden in tow and that he and Ervin smoked pot together.

The sheriff's office later searched Ervin's home and found a bag of marijuana, several pills and drug paraphernalia, according to court documents.

Ervin was arrested this afternoon at his home.