DEARBORN – The parents of a 2-year-old girl who died after falling into a neighbor’s pool in Dearborn were charged with second-degree murder and were arraigned Friday afternoon in Dearborn’s court.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office authorized charges for the parents on Thursday.
James Johnson III and Amber Johnson were charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse.
The parents were taken into custody without incident.
“The alleged actions and inactions of the defendants in this case defy common sense,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. “Once again we are left with a child, whose death was completely preventable.”
Judge Sam Salamey arraigned the two parents. Bond was set at $1 million each.
A probable cause conference is set for June 24.
The toddler drowned on Boldt Street in Dearborn last Friday after she and her 3-year-old brother snuck out of the home at 10:30 a.m., while the parents were asleep.
The two toddlers entered the neighbor’s back yard and went to swim in the pool.
The neighbor noticed the girl in their swimming pool and pulled her from the water. She was unresponsive and the homeowner performed CPR.
The girl was rushed to the hospital. She was pronounced dead the next day.
“This is a tragic situation for all the families involved,” Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad said.
Neighbors in the area say police have been to the girl’s home before and the kids are often found wandering the neighborhood.
“Those kids seem to be escape artists, but I think they’re just negligent parents who are sleeping all the time,” neighbor Vincent Laing said.
Police confirmed that child protective services had been involved at some point.
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