By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — Sara Al-Mestony of Dearborn was sentenced to five years probation for the August 2017 drowning death of her eight-month-old son, Mosatafa Galdi Jr.
During the hearing Nov. 28, Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Kathryn Viviano said, “Al-Mestony’s actions at the time were not necessarily criminal and actions in the weeks and months following the incident show remorse and accepting blame” according to Macomb Daily.
Al-Mestony, 28, cannot be with any other children unless their parent or guardian is present, as part of the sentencing. The parent and guardian terms include Al-Mestony’s second son whom she is not allowed to be around unless her mother or husband are present.
Following the drowning, Al-Mestony began attending parenting classes and therapy sessions.
She initially was charged with manslaughter before taking a plea deal offered by prosecutors. In September, Al-Mestony pleaded no contest to second-degree child abuse, which is punishable by 29 to 57 months in prison.
On Aug. 24, 2017, Mosatafa was found unresponsive inside a bathtub at Al-Mestony’s house in the Warren Manor Apartments in Warren, and later died that same day at a hospital.
According to the case evidence, Al-Mestony was speaking on the phone with a car dealership at the time of the drowning but told police her son choked on cookies and milk before changing her story on what happened.
First responders arrived at the scene and took over CPR efforts from Al-Mestony and a neighbor before transporting the child to a hospital, according to Macomb Daily.
Mosatafa’s father was at work at the time of the drowning.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected])