Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 7
Louisiana Babysitter Arrested in 3-Year-Old's Drowning After 20 Minutes Unsupervised
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 7

Louisiana Babysitter Arrested in 3-Year-Old's Drowning After 20 Minutes Unsupervised

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 7

Summary

  • Joann Johnson, 37, was arrested on negligent homicide charges after investigators said 3-year-old Ian Perez drowned in a Prairieville backyard pool while in her care.
  • Surveillance video showed the boy struggling in the water and then remaining unconscious in the pool for about 20 minutes before Johnson pulled him out, authorities said.
  • The drowning was reported to 911 at about 3:50 p.m. on May 18; deputies and medics performed CPR, and the child was flown to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
  • Johnson, who turned herself in Wednesday and was released on $100,000 bond, was not a licensed daycare provider and was caring for the boy in what officials described as a family-friend arrangement.
  • Sheriff's officials said the case underscores pool-safety risks for children, especially when adults supervising them lack safeguards and close oversight.

Insights

When a 'family friend' is the caregiver, where does the law draw the line between a tragic accident and homicide?
Is America's childcare crisis forcing parents to choose between their job and their child's safety?