Authorities say the child, 20-month-old Sy’vir Hill, died April 15 after being left with two other young children in a filled tub.
PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia foster mother has been charged with third-degree murder and endangering the welfare of children, nine months after 20-month-old Sy’vir Hill drowned in a bathtub at her Harrowgate home in April. Police arrested Apalosnia Watson, 39, on Jan. 14; she was later released on a $500,000 unsecured bond as the case proceeds.
Prosecutors say the case moved forward after the Medical Examiner ruled in December that Hill’s cause of death was drowning and the manner of death was homicide. The arrest follows months of questions from Hill’s biological family and a civil lawsuit alleging systemic failures in the foster-care placement. Investigators say the criminal case now centers on what happened inside the home on the day of the child’s death, with charging documents describing a sequence that left three small children alone in a filled bathtub.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Watson told investigators she stepped away from the bathroom on April 15 to retrieve food from a microwave and left three children — ages four, two and 20 months — in the tub. When she returned, the document says, Hill was motionless. Watson reported attempting CPR and calling 911. A responding officer noted she was crying and repeatedly said, “I don’t want to go to jail,” the affidavit states. Hill was pronounced dead shortly after first responders arrived. The home is in Harrowgate, a tightly packed section of lower Northeast Philadelphia where rowhouses crowd the blocks and families share walls and narrow stairways.
Court records list the charges as third-degree murder and endangering the welfare of children. The December ruling from the Medical Examiner marked a turning point, formalizing the case as a homicide after months in which the cause and manner were listed as pending while tests were completed. In a separate civil complaint, Hill’s mother, Sharee Collins, alleges the boy was placed in a crowded home where the foster parent had already reached her maximum number of children. Collins’ attorney, A.J. Thomson, said, “What food was that important that you would leave three kids that age in the tub by themselves,” adding that the family seeks accountability through both courts. Officials have not publicly detailed how long the children were left alone. Investigators say the timeline continues to be a focus of their review.
Records and prior reports show the foster placement occurred in Harrowgate, and case managers had previously noted the household’s capacity challenges. The drowning happened April 15, in the early evening, according to people familiar with the response. The case sparked broader questions about oversight of foster homes and how agencies monitor caregiver workloads when multiple young children are in a single placement. In October, Collins filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against two child-welfare agencies that helped manage the placement, alleging negligence in approving and overseeing the home. Those agencies have not filed detailed responses in the criminal case, which is separate from the civil suit.
Legally, third-degree murder in Pennsylvania involves a killing done with malice but without specific intent to kill. Watson’s preliminary hearing is expected in the coming weeks in Municipal Court; the clerk’s docket lists her release on an unsecured bond of $500,000 while the case advances. Prosecutors have not announced additional defendants, and no charges have been filed against agency personnel. The District Attorney’s Office has not said whether a grand jury will review the matter. If the case is held for trial after a preliminary hearing, it would move to Common Pleas Court. A civil trial schedule has not been set.
Neighbors said the block is busy with children after school and on weekends. On Monday afternoon, a woman who lives a few doors away placed a stuffed bear on her front steps and shook her head. “He was just a baby,” she said, declining to give her name. Outside the Criminal Justice Center, Thomson said Collins remains focused on “getting the truth on the record.” Watson’s attorney has not returned messages seeking comment. No funeral arrangements were publicly listed at the time of the charging announcement; relatives have shared photos of Hill as a smiling toddler in a patterned onesie.
As of Tuesday, Watson remained free on bond and the case sat between its charging stage and an expected preliminary hearing date. The Medical Examiner’s homicide ruling stands as the most recent official development. The next milestone is a court appearance where a judge will determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to send the case to trial.
Author note: Last updated February 4, 2026.