Firefighters responding to a water leak in a Washington state apartment building made a horrifying discovery: an 8-year-old girl floating face up and lifeless in an overflowing bathtub, according to police.
The child’s mother, Travionna Johnson, is now facing first- and second-degree manslaughter and abandonment of a dependent person, lawandcrime.com reported. Johnson was arrested Sunday after a neighbor reported the leak.
The sequence of events began when water from an upstairs apartment began seeping into the unit below. Firefighters were called to the scene and forced entry into Johnson’s apartment, where they found the bathtub overflowing and the young girl unresponsive in the water.
The girl was rushed to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Police say Johnson had left the 8-year-old home alone. Court documents, cited by lawandcrime.com, allege that Johnson abandoned her daughter without supervision, leading to the child’s death.
Johnson appeared in court, where the charges were formally presented. The exact circumstances of how long the girl was left alone, and whether she had been left alone on previous occasions, have not been detailed in the initial reports.
What is still unknown: The timeline of Johnson’s departure, when the leak began, and how long the child was in the tub before firefighters arrived. Investigators have not released a cause of death pending an autopsy, and it remains unclear whether the girl drowned or died from another cause related to the incident.
The case has raised questions about child supervision and the responsibilities of a parent, but authorities have not yet provided a full account of Johnson’s side of the story. No defense statement has been made public.
Johnson remains in custody. Her next court appearance has not been announced, and the investigation is ongoing.
The tragic death has shaken the apartment community, where neighbors reportedly noticed the leak and alerted authorities, ultimately leading to the discovery.
As the legal process moves forward, the court will determine whether the charges of manslaughter and abandonment are substantiated by the evidence. For now, the memory of a young life cut short lingers, and the community waits for answers.