A babysitter in Louisiana has been arrested after a 3-year-old boy drowned in a pool and went unnoticed for 20 minutes at her unlicensed daycare.
Joann Johnson was arrested on Wednesday, June 3, and booked into the Ascension Parish Jail after a warrant was issued in connection with the child’s death in May, the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a statement shared via Facebook on Thursday, June 4.
Deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a drowning at a home in Prairieville just before 4 p.m. on May 18. Once they arrived, deputies and emergency medical responders performed lifesaving measures on the child before he was airlifted to a hospital. The child was later pronounced dead, according to the sheriff’s office.
As authorities investigated the situation, it was determined that Johnson, 37, was operating an in-home daycare at the time of the incident. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told WAFB that Johnson’s daycare was not licensed.
The sheriff’s office said they reviewed surveillance video that showed two young children playing near a swimming pool in the backyard of the residence while in Johnson’s care. Authorities added that there was no safety equipment near the pool.
The young victim fell into the pool and subsequently drowned, and he remained unconscious in the pool for about 20 minutes before Johnson got him out of the water, according to the sheriff’s office.
Donovan Jackson, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, has since identified the victim as Ian Perez.
“One of the hardest parts of watching that video is seeing little Ian struggle for his life for several minutes,” Jackson told WAFB about the incident. “And the second hardest part of watching this is seeing him in that pool about 20 minutes after he had drowned. For over 20 minutes, there was no supervision.”
Jackson continued, “No parent should have to deal with the loss of their child, especially when that loss is due to someone else’s negligence.”
“We understand that accidents happen. You may lose sight of them for a minute or two, maybe five minutes, but for over 20 minutes, that is a problem, and that is clear negligence,” Jackson said.
Johnson’s bond was set at $100,000 on June 3 and she was released later that day.
It is not immediately clear if Johnson has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
