GALVESTON – A mother is being held without bond after authorities say her young child died in a horrific incident caught on hotel surveillance footage in Galveston.
30-year-old Channel Jasmine Yonko has been charged with capital murder in the tragic death of her 17-month-old daughter, Hannah Yonko.
Galveston police responded to reports of an abandoned child near the 3300 block of 59th St. on Oct. 23, arriving around 9:45 a.m. to find the unresponsive child on the pavement near the Beach Front Palms Hotel. Despite immediate efforts to save her life, the child was pronounced dead shortly after being transported to the trauma center at UTMB Galveston.
Detectives gathered evidence, including hotel surveillance footage that allegedly shows the child falling from the third-floor balcony of the hotel before landing on the grass and rolling onto the sidewalk. Further investigation revealed puncture wounds on the child’s body, though investigators stated that neither the child’s clothing nor the blanket she was wrapped in bore any puncture marks.
BACKGROUND: Mother charged after 17-month-old daughter dies in Galveston
Officers detained Channel, who was initially uncooperative, refusing to provide her name and requesting a lawyer. Her sister, Mercedes Yonko, told investigators they had been staying at the hotel, and Channel had been caring for her daughter. Mercedes noted that on the morning of the incident, Channel acted suspiciously and repeatedly told her not to return to the hotel.
Additional evidence, including a trash bag found in a hotel parking garage containing a knife, hotel room key, and children’s items, further implicated Channel in her daughter’s death.
The District Attorney’s Office requested no bond for Yonko, a decision that was granted by Galveston County District Judge Kerry Neves.
Galveston Police Chief Doug Balli expressed his department’s determination to seek justice: “All children deserve to feel safe when around loved ones, especially with their own mother. We are committed to ensuring the safety of all children in our community.”
The case will be presented to a grand jury for further review. Authorities are urging anyone with relevant information or surveillance footage from the area to contact Galveston police at 409-765-3777 or Crime Stoppers at 409-763-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous.