Arlington Heights completes drowning probe

Police have concluded their investigation into the drowning death of a 14-year-old Arlington Heights resident over the weekend and are satisfied that the kids involved told the truth about what happened, Cmdr. Ken Galinski said Tuesday.

While police can't tell exactly why William Ugoka, of the 900 block of East Shady Way, drowned in a pool at the Tanglewood Apartments, there was no evidence that anyone was pushed, nor any indication that drugs or alcohol were involved, he said.

The Cook County medical examiner's office had ruled the drowning an accident after an autopsy Monday.

William was part of a group of six kids who Sunday climbed the fence to gain access to the pool at 2135 S. Tonne Drive, police said.

He did a back flip into the deep end, then came up flailing, police said. The kids said he is known as a jokester and they didn't immediately realize anything was wrong.

The call for help came in at 6 p.m. William was pronounced dead at 6:45 p.m. at Northwest Community Hospital, police said.

Mary Ugoka, the boy's mother, said William had known how to swim for years, which Galinski confirmed. An initial police report had indicated he didn't know how to swim.

And Sunni Harris, marketing director for Tanglewood Apartments, disputed a statement in the police report that one of the kids had a key allowing access to the pool, but that it didn't work.

"Residents don't have keys," she said Tuesday.

While there is no lifeguard at the pool, management allows access only when an attendant is on duty, she said. A high fence surrounds the pool. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

The pool is normally accessible 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but it was closed last weekend because no attendant was available, she said. A pool attached to the clubhouse was open.

Funeral arrangements were still pending Tuesday.