Arizona toddler case today: Records detail how he was found alive in a morgue

The Arizona case is drawing national attention because it raises urgent questions about emergency-room decisions, child safety and possible criminal charges. An 18-month-old boy, identified by his family as Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, was pronounced dead at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center on Feb. 8 after a near-drowning. More than five hours later, medical examiner staff found him breathing in the hospital morgue. Gilbert police say he survived and has been released from the hospital.

Context & Background

The case began around 5:38 p.m. on Feb. 8, during a Super Bowl gathering at the family's Gilbert home. Vincent was found face down in the backyard pool, and relatives performed CPR before first responders rushed him to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. One local report said he had been in the water for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

The parents' conduct is also under scrutiny. Police documents say both admitted smoking marijuana that morning, and investigators raised concerns that their judgment may have been impaired while they were supposed to be watching the toddler. Gilbert police recommended one child-abuse charge against each parent, and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office is reviewing the case. No charging decision has been announced.

That creates two separate questions: how the child reached the pool without close supervision, and how he was later declared dead despite repeated reports of possible signs of life.

Here's What Happened

At the hospital, emergency staff continued efforts to save Vincent. According to the police timeline reported by NBC News, a doctor identified as A. Toosi declared the child dead at 6:20 p.m. and requested a moment of silence.

Concern did not end there. The police report says a nurse reported detecting a pulse, and an officer tried to alert the doctor. The report says the doctor responded by stressing that he had attended medical school and telling the officer to let him do his job.

Over the next hour, officers and the child's parents continued to report gasping or releases of air. Nurses described the movements as agonal breathing. The records reviewed by ABC15 Arizona say officers documented more than one apparent gasp before the child was moved to the cold room.

At about 7:23 p.m., the cold-room door was closed. When medical examiner staff arrived at 11:52 p.m. to retrieve the body, they found Vincent breathing. He was then airlifted to Phoenix Children's Hospital.

Agonal breathing

Gasping movements that hospital staff cited when explaining the child's apparent breaths after he was declared dead.

Cold room

The hospital space described in the police report as the morgue, with a temperature set between 36 and 39 degrees.

The Response

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center said it conducted an internal review after what it called a heartbreaking situation. The hospital said it examined the care provided and made changes intended to strengthen patient safety, but it has not released the review's findings or said whether the doctor remains affiliated with the facility.

A lawyer for the doctor told NBC News that patient confidentiality and the possible case against the parents limited what could be said publicly, adding that there was more to the case medically and factually than had been reported. Public records reviewed by ABC15 showed no disciplinary action on the Arizona physician license linked to Aryan Toosi.

The Bigger Picture

The case now places medical decision-making, police observations and the parents' conduct in the same legal record. Local reports say the doctor is not facing criminal charges, while prosecutors are reviewing the recommendation concerning the parents.

The timeline is central: Vincent was declared dead at 6:20 p.m., officers continued to document apparent gasps, and he was found breathing at 11:52 p.m. That sequence is why the case now includes questions about how signs of life were interpreted inside the hospital.

The family's updates described emergency care, air transport, intensive treatment and a need for ongoing therapy and medical monitoring. A report on the family's fundraising appeal said it sought $16,000 and had collected about $14,000 as of Friday.

The Road Ahead

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office is reviewing the child-abuse recommendations submitted by Gilbert police. The hospital has completed an internal review, but its detailed findings have not been made public.

Police say the child survived and has been released from the hospital. The next confirmed developments are the prosecutor's charging decision and any further public disclosure from the hospital or the parties involved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was the Arizona toddler really found alive in a morgue?

Yes. Police records say medical examiner staff arrived at 11:52 p.m. and found the 18-month-old breathing after he had been declared dead at 6:20 p.m.

What happened before the toddler reached the hospital?

He was found face down in the family's backyard pool during a Super Bowl gathering on Feb. 8. Relatives performed CPR, and first responders took him to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center.

Are the toddler's parents facing charges?

Gilbert police recommended a child-abuse charge against both parents. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office is reviewing the case, and no charging decision has been announced.

Is the doctor facing criminal charges?

Local reports say the doctor is not facing criminal charges. The hospital conducted an internal review but has not released detailed findings or publicly confirmed the doctor's employment status.