Babysitter let 20 minutes pass before checking on unconscious 3-year-old in backyard pool: Deputies

A babysitter successful Louisiana fto a 3-year-old lad drown successful a backyard excavation and laic unconscious successful the h2o for 20 minutes earlier she did anything, authorities say.

Joann Johnson, 37, has been charged with negligent homicide, the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office announced.

The unfortunate was identified by authorities arsenic Ian Perez, per Baton Rouge CBS affiliate WAFB.

It was the day of May 18, and Johnson was "operating an in-home daycare" connected Roy Rogers Road successful Prairieville, Louisiana, deputies said. The census-designated country is astir 20 miles southeast of Baton Rouge, the authorities capital.

Two young children "who were successful Johnson's care" were "playing adjacent a swimming excavation successful the backyard of the residence without immoderate information wear," the sheriff's bureau stated, citing surveillance video. At immoderate point, Ian "fell into the excavation and subsequently drowned."

"He remained unconscious successful the excavation for astir 20 minutes earlier Johnson was observed retrieving the 3-year-old," deputies continued.

Someone called 911 astatine astir 3:50 p.m. that day, and deputies and archetypal responders drove to the scene. Though they tried to resuscitate the lad and flew him to a hospital, helium was aboriginal pronounced dead.

According to Donovan Jackson, nationalist accusation serviceman with the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, the daycare Johnson was moving was not licensed, and the magnitude of clip the kid struggled successful the h2o suggests negligence connected her part.

"One of the hardest parts of watching that video is seeing small Ian conflict for his beingness for respective minutes," Jackson said, per the section outlet. "And the 2nd hardest portion of watching this is seeing him successful that excavation astir 20 minutes aft helium had drowned. For implicit 20 minutes, determination was nary supervision."

"We recognize that accidents happen," helium added. "You whitethorn suffer show of them for a infinitesimal oregon two, possibly 5 minutes, but for implicit 20 minutes, that is simply a problem, and that is wide negligence."

Authorities secured an apprehension warrant for Johnson, and they accidental she turned herself successful connected Wednesday. She was booked into the Ascension Parish Jail.