Charges against mother of baby lost in Socastee creek upgraded to homicide by child abuse

(WPDE) — The charges against Sarah Toney, the mother of the 5-month-old baby girl who was found dead after being lost in a Socastee creek last week, have been upgraded to homicide by child abuse, according to detention center records. A bond hearing on the upgraded charge is set to take place this afternoon at 3 p.m. An autopsy performed Friday on Grace Carlson Santa Cruz showed that the manner of death is homicide, according to Horry County Deputy Coroner Darris Fowler. The cause of death is still under investigation. The autopsy was performed at the Medical University of South Carolina. On Thursday, bond was denied for Toney by Horry County Magistrate Judge Aaron Butler on a charge of with unlawful conduct toward a child. During that hearing, Toney said she had gone in to the water with her daughter, but couldn’t hold on to her. According to an Horry County police report, Toney appeared on the porch of a home on Shem Creek Circle soaking wet and told a woman there that she lost her baby while crossing the creek. The woman told police that Toney appeared to be under the influence of something and an officer said she “exhibited behavior normally associated with the use of methamphetamine,” according to a police report. Toney told officers she went in to the creek behind her home and the water was moving very fast and she slipped multiple times and on the last time she lost control of baby Grace. When officers asked Toney why she went in to the creek, she first told them it was because Grace was crying, but moments later she said it was because she was trying to find God. Grace’s body was found Thursday around 3:45 p.m., according to Horry County Police Chief Saundra Rhodes. Rhodes said the baby was found close to the house where Toney said she lost her in the waters. “She was located in the creek that her mother indicated that she was in. The divers from the Department of Natural Resources along with public works were able to locate her,” Rhodes said. Rhodes said she could not say if the baby suffered any other trauma or if she drowned. Horry County Solicitor Scott Hixson asked the judge to deny bond on the unlawful conduct charge because of Toney’s criminal past and because they believed she was a flight risk. Through a SLED background check, we found that Toney has a long list of charges including criminal domestic violence, drug charges, driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, shoplifting, giving false information, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and malicious damage to property. The majority are misdemeanor charges, with a few felony charges. Her record dates back to 2008. She is currently on probation for one of her more recent convictions of shoplifting and a misdemeanor drug charge.