Houston woman charged with murder in connection with death of her infant daughter in Galveston – Houston Public Media

A murder charge has been filed against a Houston woman in connection with the death of her infant daughter, who was found abandoned near the Galveston Seawall on Wednesday.

Galveston police responded to calls of an abandoned child in the 3300 block of 59th Street around 9:45 a.m. Wednesday. There, officers discovered 17-month-old Hannah Yonko lying on the road with life-threatening injuries.

The toddler was taken to the University of Texas Medical Branch Trauma Center and was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

The infant appeared to have suffered injuries from a fall, Chief Doug Balli said during a news conference.

The child's mother, 30-year-old Channel Yonko, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with murder in connection with the girl's death. The indictment was accepted by the Galveston County District Attorney's Office.

Channel Yonko is being held at the Gavleston County Jail on municipal warrants and is being held without bail.

“Nobody ever wants to make that call,” Balli said. “No first responder ever wants to respond to the scene of an infant who is so injured that they may not make it.”

At the time, Balli refused to reveal key details of the incident during the press conference as the child's family members had not yet been informed of his death. He said releasing certain preliminary details would be a disservice to Hannah Yonko and her family members.

“This is a terrible crime,” Balli said. “All children deserve to feel safe around their loved ones, especially their own mother.”