Grandma hit with charges after grandson, two, drowned in backyard pool at luxury apartment complex as distraught family stand by her

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER Published: 18:20, 16 July 2026 | Updated: 18:23, 16 July 2026 A Georgia grandmother was arrested and charged after her two-year-old grandson tragically drowned at a resort-style clubhouse pool. Emelisa Paz-Santos, 44, has been accused of involuntary manslaughter and other charges linked to the death of Axel Delgado on June 21. Paz-Santos was allegedly responsible for supervising little Axel during a gathering at the ritzy Lake House At Martin's Landing apartment complex in Roswell, about 25 miles north of Atlanta. Police and other emergency crews responded to the complex's pool at 1500 Harbor Landing around 9.30pm that day after Axel was pulled from the water. Bystanders performed CPR until Roswell Police Department officers, Roswell firefighters and American Medical Response paramedics arrived to continue the lifesaving efforts. Axel was rushed to the hospital in serious condition but died the next day. Investigators determined that his death was a drowning. After reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses, detectives found that Paz-Santos 'failed to provide adequate care and supervision for Delgado, resulting in his drowning,' according to Roswell police. However her daughter, Axel's mother Leni Paz, insists her mom did nothing wrong and is sticking by her.  Emelisa Paz–Santos, 44, was charged Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter and second–degree cruelty in connection to the drowning death of her grandson, Axel Delgado, 2 Delgado drowned at a ritzy apartment complex in Roswell, Georgia, roughly 25 miles north of Atlanta Police and other emergency crews responded to the pool at the Lake House At Martin's Landing apartment complex around 9.30pm on June 21 after Delgado was pulled from the water Paz addressed her son's death in a public Facebook post on Thursday insisting that what happened 'was a tragic accident.' 'My mother has been a loving, caring, and devoted parent and grandmother our entire lives,' Paz wrote. 'She would never intentionally do anything to hurt any of us or our children.' Paz added: 'She has spent her life loving and raising our family, and this tragedy has affected her just as deeply as it has all of us.' The grieving mom urged the public to let Paz-Santos' legal process 'unfold without rushing to judgment or spreading misinformation.' 'Right now, our family is carrying an unimaginable amount of pain, and we simply ask for compassion, understanding, and prayers for everyone involved,' she continued. Paz-Santos was charged Wednesday with a misdemeanor count of involuntary manslaughter and a felony count of second-degree cruelty to children, according to jail records reviewed by the Daily Mail.  An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold was also placed on Paz–Santos on Wednesday, meaning the jail is expected to notify federal immigration authorities before releasing her.  Fulton County inmate records indicated that Paz–Santos had been arrested by the Roswell Police Department and the Fulton County Sheriff's Office. Authorities reviewed surveillance footage and interviewed multiple witnesses before taking Paz–Santos into custody, according to WSB–TV. Roswell police alleged that Paz–Santos 'failed to provide adequate care and supervision for Delgado, resulting in his drowning' Authorities added that Paz-Santos was arrested after a 'comprehensive review of witness statements, surveillance footage and subsequent interviews with those involved' So far, Fulton County authorities have not released the surveillance footage showing what happened. Paz–Santos surrendered on Tuesday and was booked into the Fulton County Jail the following day, CBS News reported. Her bonds have been set at $35,000 for the involuntary manslaughter charge, as well as $5,000 for the cruelty to children charge. A mother-of-four who was at the club, Jeanine Welsh, called the child's death 'heartbreaking.' 'My husband heard someone screaming, and as a lifeguard for 15 years I was just praying that it was not a drowning,' Welsh told WSB–TV last month. Another witness, George Golphin, said that medical professionals were trying to resuscitate Axel 'the whole way.' 'They were doing the resuscitation and then walked from the pool to the ambulance,' Golphin told the outlet. 'It was like a cookout they had.' Witnesses said that medical professionals attempted to resuscitate Axel 'the whole way' from the pool to the ambulance Axel's mom Leni Paz is supporting her mother and insists she did nothing wrong A neighbor, Mary Emily Landers, said that she was 'feeling really, really sorry for the family that had that loss.' 'As they navigate that, I hope they feel the support from the community, both within this community, apartment community, and also outside of it,' Landers told Atlanta News First. 'It truly is such a loss.' No court date has been announced, according to the Georgia Sun. It was not immediately clear whether Paz-Santos has an attorney. Paz-Santos had previously been booked into the Fulton County jail in September 2015, according to inmate records viewed by the Daily Mail. At the time, Paz-Santos was charged on bench warrants for following too closely, driving without a license and being in the possession of a fraudulent state ID. She was held in the jail for three days before being released, records showed. The Daily Mail has reached out to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office for comment.