By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

UNION TOWNSHIP - The mother of a 3-year-old boy who drowned Tuesday in an apartment swimming pool was sleeping when the boy climbed out a window and wandered away, authorities said Thursday.

Tiffany Brewster, 22, was charged Thursday with one count each of felony and misdemeanor child endangering in her son's death, said Union Township police Sgt. Scott Gaviglia. Tuesday's incident was the second time in a week that her son Austin had wandered away from the apartment they shared, police said.

Brewster was released from jail on her promise to return to her next court hearing.

On Tuesday, Austin crawled out of a first-floor apartment window at the Clough Corner Apartments, 4260 Mount Carmel-Tobasco Road, and wandered into the swimming pool area. The pool was closed, but a tarp, held down with sandbags, had collected rain and pool water.

Tiffany Brewster discovered Austin was missing about 10 a.m. and searched with friends for about a half-hour before calling police.

Most of the Union Township officers on duty at the time got to the complex in four minutes and immediately started looking for the toddler.

Within minutes, Austin was found face down, cold and not breathing the pool cover. Authorities started CPR but were unable to revive him.

"Based on our investigation, the window was open," Gaviglia said. "The child was able to get out the window by climbing on furniture."

Police said that they also determined that Austin had gotten out of the apartment and wandered to a gas station Sunday, Gaviglia said.

"He was wearing only a diaper," Gaviglia said. "The employees at (the gas station) and a good Samaritan determined the child came from the Clough Corner Apartments and eventually found the mother."

The misdemeanor charge against Brewster stems from Sunday's incident, officials said. The felony charge is related to Tuesday's events.

Police were never notified of the Sunday incident, Gaviglia said.

"If we were notified of that event on Sunday, she would have been arrested on Sunday," Gaviglia said. "Our office wasn't contacted."

Brewster and her son lived alone in the apartment, but officials did not know how long they had lived there.

E-mail daveck@fuse.net