A Houston mother has been arrested after police say she intentionally dropped her 17-month-old daughter from a Galveston hotel balcony.
Police responded to a report of an abandoned child around 9:45 a.m. Wednesday. When police arrived, they found the child, identified as Hannah Yonko, bleeding on the sidewalk. Paramedics determined that she required life-saving treatment and began treatment. She was then transported to the UTMB Galveston Trauma Center.
However, he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital at around 10:30 a.m.
Three stab wounds were found on Hanna’s body, which the affidavit states is probable cause. Officers later found the mother, Channel Yonko, 30, crying and pleading for help. She started making comments about her daughter and said she may have been ill. Yonko was then taken to the police for further questioning.
Her sister, Mercedes Yonko, told police she shared a room with her at the Beachfront Palms Hotel. Channel was traveling to Galveston to spend time with his sister. Mercedes said Channell has sole custody of their daughter.
On the day of Hannah’s death, the sisters met at different locations. Mercedes said she saw Channell pushing a stroller. She told police she thought Hannah was in the stroller when she saw her sister, but never actually saw the baby. Still, she said there was no reason to suspect the baby was not in the stroller.
Mercedes said she wanted to go back to her hotel room, but Channell told her not to.
Channel said she repeatedly told her sister not to go back to the hotel. Mercedes said she found it strange that the channel would say such a thing.
Two police officers searching the hotel’s parking lot found a garbage bag containing a key card, a black-handled “skinner” knife, a plastic sand toy, an unused diaper, and a trash can. I found an unopened children’s snack. Police later found footage of Channel pushing a stroller in a hotel lobby.
Another video showed Hannah falling from the third floor, landing in the grass, and then being discovered tumbling onto a concrete walkway.
Channel was charged with secret murder. She is being held without bail at the Galveston County Jail. Her attorney is not listed.
“This is a horrific crime. All children have the right to feel safe when they are around their loved ones, especially their own mothers,” said Galveston Police Chief Doug Bali.
“No one wants to make this call. No paramedic wants to be responding to a young child who is seriously injured and may not be able to survive.”