N. Carolina girl dies after allegedly being drowned by her father

A 3-year-old North Carolina girl, whose father is accused of trying to drown her and her siblings, has died, police said on Wednesday.

An off-duty sheriff’s deputy pulled two girls, ages 3 and 5, from a pond in Durham on Sunday night, according to police. Their 7-year-old brother escaped from the scene and sought help.

Alan Tysheen Eugene Lassiter, 29, of Raleigh was charged with three counts of attempted murder. He remained in jail on a $2.5 million bond on Wednesday.

A police spokeswoman declined to say whether Lassiter would face murder charges, saying only that the investigation is ongoing.

In a 911 call released by police, a man who identified himself as the children's father said he had drowned his two daughters in a lake near an apartment complex.

He said he had been trying to seek help from authorities who instead sought to take his children away.

The two girls were given CPR and taken to a local hospital. The 5-year-old was released on Wednesday, police said.

A police spokeswoman said on Wednesday that the boy had not been in the pond. Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez said statements made by the boy to police prompted a third attempted murder charge.

(Editing by David Adams and Sandra Maler)