An El Paso police officer is facing a felony charge after his infant son drowned while in his care last month.

KXAN reports that Raymond Licon Jr., 27, was off-duty on June 20, and watching his two children at home when he got into an altercation with his estranged wife via text messages and phone calls. He put his 11-month old son, Azrael, into the bath prior to talking to his wife. He allegedly left the water running as he stepped away to continue to argue with his wife.

According to cellphone records, Licon’s last contact with his wife was 8:34 p.m. At 9:19 p.m., Licon called 911, around 45 minutes after the argument with his wife began. He reported that his upstairs bathroom had overflowed with water, leaking down into the bottom floor of the home. It’s unclear whether he admitted to police that he was giving his son a bath when the incident occurred, but he reportedly admitted his mistake to a neighbor.

Police arrived and found the infant unresponsive. Licon said he’d been performing CPR on the baby without luck. Authorities rushed Azrael to the University Medical Center (UMC), where he later died.

Licon was arrested and placed him on administrative duty only at his job with the El Paso Police Department. Officers are reportedly calling the incident an “accidental drowning,” according to KFOX 14.

“In the course of the text messages and voice call, the defendant forgot about the victim, whom he left in the second floor bathtub with the water running,” the affidavit read.

Licon faces one count of criminal negligent homicide. He posted bond shortly after his arrest.

Check back with Crime Online as additional details become available.

[Feature Photo: El Paso PD]