WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — A Wyoming mother charged in the death of her 6-month-old baby had a history of complaints filed with Child Protective Services, according to newly obtained court documents.
Lovily Johnson, 22, is charged with first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse in the death of her son, Noah.
A court petition to have Johnson’s 2-year-old daughter removed from the home reveals more about the days leading up to Noah’s death.
The petition shows CPS complaints against Johnson dating back to 2015, shortly after she gave birth to her daughter. In March of that year, Johnson reportedly admitted to using marijuana during her pregnancy after tests showed the drug in her newborn daughter’s system.
About two months later, CPS was contacted after the baby’s father, Marshall White, allegedly attacked Johnson. The court said there was “a preponderance of evidence” that White didn’t properly supervise the infant girl.
The record then jumps to January of this year, when Noah reportedly tested positive for marijuana following his birth. Johnson told CPS she stopped using marijuana in April the year prior, but the court petition indicates she tested positive for the drug four days after Noah was born.
On June 19, Johnson gave her biological mother power of attorney over her daughter.
THE LAST COMPLAINT
The last complaint before Noah’s death came 16 days before he showed up at the ER, according to the petition.
On July 3, police were called to the Family Video off Byron Center Avenue in Wyoming for a baby that was reportedly left alone in a vehicle for 20 minutes. Officers said Noah was left in Johnson’s boyfriend’s vehicle, which was unlocked and not running with the windows slightly rolled down.
An officer said Johnson “did not appear to care the child was in the vehicle and unsupervised and she kept defending why she needed multiple DVD’s (sic).”
Police said they found marijuana residue and drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle.
Around 2:30 a.m. on July 19, Johnson brought Noah to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said the baby had been dead a while. He had a bloated stomach, glossy eyes, smelled and had blood in his diaper area, according to the petition.
LEFT ALONE FOR DAYS
According to an arrest affidavit, Johnson admitted to police that Noah was under her care and on one else’s in the four days before he arrived at the hospital.
The petition states that after Noah’s death, Johnson admitted to leaving the toddler home alone for about 12 hours on July 17. Johnson reportedly stopped at the house around 10 a.m. that day to give Noah a bottle, but did not change his diaper before leaving him to smoke marijuana with her friends, the petition states.
Johnson returned home that evening and changed Noah’s diaper but did not feed him, according to the court document. She told authorities the baby whined for about 30 minutes before she sang him a song. She said she assumed he fell asleep when he stopped crying. She then reportedly took a bath and fell asleep, according to the petition.
Johnson admitted to leaving the baby home alone in the subsequent days. In that time, she said she came home twice but did not check on the baby, according to the petition. She admitted to smoking marijuana and visiting a store, a gas station and a bank before finally checking on Noah at home and finding him unresponsive, the court document states.
The petition indicates Johnson contacted her father for a ride to the hospital and never called 911.
TRYING TO PREVENT A TRAGEDY
Johnson said she suffered from depression and had reported previous suicide attempts, but refused to go to Pine Rest despite three separate requests by hospital staff, according to the petition.
The petition lists more than a half-dozen classes and support programs offered to Johnson.
If convicted of either first-degree child abuse or murder, Johnson could spend the rest of her life in prison.