Man sues son's mother over drowning

The father of a recently deceased two-year-old boy blames his son’s mother for the child’s death, saying she failed to adequately supervise him before he drowned in a pool.

Kevin Sicka filed a lawsuit July 2 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Shawna Reid and Ronald Sicka.

In his complaint, Kevin Sicka alleges his two-year-old son, Jordan Michael Sicka, was with his mother, Reid, and grandfather, Ronald Sicka, at his grandfather’s home at 109 Cresthaven Drive in Belleville on July 2, 2012. Reid was doing laundry in the home when Jordan Michael Sicka left the room.

The minor child went outside the home, climbed the stairs to the deck adjoining the swimming pool and either fell or jumped into the pool, and sustained such injuries from the drowning process he died two days later, the suit states.

Due to his son’s death, Kevin Sicka claims he incurred medical and funeral bills and lost his son’s companionship, care, love and affection.

Kevin Sicka blames Reid for causing their son’s death, saying she negligently failed to instruct Ronald Sicka to close the garage and kitchen doors, failed to keep flotation devices on Jordan Sicka and failed to request that Ronald Sicka supervise his grandson when she knew she was preoccupied.

He also names Ronald Sicka as a defendant, saying he negligently failed to install a gate to the entrance of the pool’s deck, failed to instruct Reid to close the open garage and kitchen doors, failed to close the kitchen and garage doors leading out of the home and failed to supervise Jordan Sicka.

Kevin Sicka seeks a judgment of more than $200,000, plus costs. He is being represented by attorney Rhonda D. Fiss of Belleville.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 14-L-531.