GALVESTON, Texas — Court documents reveal heartbreaking new details in the death of a 17-month-old girl found along a road just off Seawall Boulevard Wednesday morning.
According to the Galveston Police Department, Channel Yonko, 30, of Houston, is charged with capital murder in the death of her 17-month-old daughter, Hannah Yonko.
Channel Yonko was arrested at a restaurant near where Hannah was found. The woman remains in the Galveston County Jail after appearing in court Thursday morning.
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She was denied bond and requested a court-appointed attorney during her appearance.
WARNING: The new details released are graphic.
According to court documents, Galveston police responded at 10:18 a.m. to the Kroger grocery store on Seawall Boulevard near 59th Street after receiving reports of an abandoned child being found. When officers arrived, they found the child unresponsive and bleeding.
The toddler, later identified as Hannah Yonko, was found in the middle of the street between the Kroger and the Beachfront Palms Hotel, police said.
Investigators said the child was found with three puncture wounds in her back.
"This is a horrible crime. All children deserve to feel safe when around loved ones, especially with their own mother,” GPD Chief Doug Balli said. “The Galveston Police Department is committed to bringing justice for Hannah and ensuring the safety of all children in our community.”
Hannah still "had signs of life" and first responders performed life-saving measures as they rushed her to the emergency trauma center at UTMB Galveston. She died from bodily trauma a short time later, according to GPD.
Balli said it "definitely wasn't a natural death."
Investigators said they interviewed the suspect’s sister at the police department. She told them that she, her sister Channel Yonko, and Hannah were sharing a room at The Beachfront Palms Hotel. The sister said Channel Yonko had sole care of her daughter while she was in Galveston.
The sister told investigators that Channel Yonko had come to Galveston to visit her. On Wednesday morning, they began checking out of the motel. The sister left to meet her fiancé at The Victorian Hotel and left her sister and niece at the Beachfront Palms Hotel.
The sister said Channel Yonko eventually showed up at The Victorian pushing a stroller. The sister told them she didn't see Hannah in the stroller, but had no reason to believe she was not in it.
The sister told Channel Yonko that she could not find her fiancé and that they should just go back to their hotel room to gather their luggage. That is when Channel Yonko told her not to go back to their room.
Investigators said they found a trash bag in the trash bin in the parking garage under The Beachfront Palms Hotel. Inside the bag was a key card for the room Yonko was staying in along with a skinning knife, plastic sand toys, unused diapers, and unopened kids' snacks.
Investigators also found surveillance video showing Yonko pushing a stroller in the lobby and a child’s foot could be seen moving in it. They also found a video showing the child falling from the third floor, landing on the grass, and rolling on the concrete sidewalk where Hannah was found.
Investigators said they believe Channel Yonko intentionally dropped the child from the hotel balcony.