Police: Mom straps baby in carseat, kills him after leaving him without food or water for days

A Michigan woman is facing felony child abuse and murder charges after she allegedly killed her own baby earlier this month.

Detroit Free Press reports that on Monday, authorities charged Lovily Johnson, 22, with first-degree murder and felony child abuse. Prosecutors alleged that on July 17, Johnson put her 6-month-old baby boy, Noah Johnson, into his carseat and left him on the upper floor of her Wyoming apartment with no air conditioning for two days. She also left the baby without and food and water.

On July 19, Johnson brought the deceased infant to the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Detectives arrived shortly after and placed Johnson under arrest after interviewing her.

“Upon arrival, Noah was clearly deceased and had been for some time,’’ Wyoming Detective Robert Meredith wrote.

Posted by Lovily N'Loni Johnson on Friday, January 6, 2017

 

According to the probable cause affidavit, Johnson admitted that although she was home “multiple times a day during that time frame, she knowingly and intentionally deprived him of the necessities of life by not feeding him since Monday evening,”

Johnson appeared via video for arraignment and pleaded not guilty to child abuse and murder. During her arraignment, however, she initially claimed she didn’t understand her charges. Wyoming District Court Judge Steven Timmers broke down what she was charged with in simple terms.

Posted by Lovily N'Loni Johnson on Wednesday, May 24, 2017

 

“Well, let me make it really clear,’’ the judge told Johnson. “They alleged you killed a young child and that you physically abused it. Does that make sense to you?”

“Yes sir,’’ Johnson answered.

“OK, at least you understand the charges against you,’’ Timmers said.

Timmers denied Johnson bond. She remains behind bars awaiting a probable cause hearing in August. So far, the motive is unclear, but Johnson claimed that she was abused by the baby’s father her and bit her face who bit her and beat her.

Check back with Crime Online as additional information becomes available.

[Feature Photo: Kent County Jail]