A Florida mom was arrested after she ignored concerns about her 2-month-old son’s health, including her friend’s claim that he was losing “a lot of blood.”
Juanisha Johnson was arrested on Wednesday, October 7, and charged with child neglect with great bodily harm, child neglect without great bodily harm, attempting to tamper with evidence and resisting an officer without violence.
Johnson, 24, has been accused of neglecting her son and his 2-year-old sister, who also suffered injuries including a hematoma, a large abrasion on her forehead and another abrasion on her left temple, according to an arrest report viewed by the Alucha Chronicle.
Authorities learned of the injuries when Johnson brought her son to UF Health Shands in Gainesville on Sunday, October 4. Upon his arrival, medical staff learned that he had a traumatic brain injury and brain bleed. As of Monday, October 5, it was revealed that the boy was in critical condition and may not survive.
Officials also said that the boy had broken ribs, which appeared to be older injuries that were in the beginning of the healing process.
Johnson’s friend called police around 9 a.m. on the day she took her son to the hospital and said she believed Johnson was abusing the children. The friend explained that she had been staying with Johnson for about two weeks.
The friend told police that she babysat the kids the night before while Johnson was out, and she noticed that the infant’s eyes were swollen and “a lot of blood” was coming from his mouth.
She added that the baby was not eating, he couldn’t sleep, he kept crying and he appeared to be in distress.
The friend said she FaceTimed Johnson around midnight to inform her about her son’s condition, but Johnson allegedly did not seem concerned and would not speak about her son’s medical problems. Johnson then allegedly said she did not want to get law enforcement or the Department of Children and Families involved.
Johnson returned home around 7 a.m. and saw the infant’s condition. She then left the home with her two children, but didn’t take them to the hospital until hours later.
While speaking to police, Johnson allegedly admitted that her friend told her about the baby’s symptoms and she said she had seen them herself. She also admitted that the bleeding was “excessive,” though thought the injury came from him scratching his mouth.
Johnson went on to say that she could tell her son was in pain and that “something was wrong.”
It wasn’t until 1 p.m. that Johnson finally took her son to the hospital after his symptoms appeared to worsen. At one point, she texted her friend that he was “having seizures” and was “not waking up,” per the arrest report.
Johnson was also asked about her daughter’s injuries, and she said the 2-year-old had been struck by a plastic toy that was thrown at her by another child. However, police said the girl’s injuries were significant and not consistent with Johnson’s version of events.
By the end of the preliminary investigation, police concluded that the infant’s injuries were “consistent with that of significant trauma and/or force.”
Johnson was arrested on Wednesday and is being held on $145,000 bail. It is not currently clear if Johnson has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The Gainesville Police Department did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding the case.
