Death of toddler ruled a homicide; Dad was supervising at time of "accident" (Sauk Village, Illinois)

Dad MELVIN JOHNSON was (presumably) "supervising" when his 20-month-old daughter (presumably) fell from a 4-foot plastic slide and suffered head injuries so severe that she later slipped into a coma and died. The Medical Examiners Office doesn't think so--they've ruled that the girl's death is a homicide.

http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1752710,090409svbaby.article

Sauk Village toddler's death ruled homicide
(http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1752710,090409svbaby.article)

September 4, 2009

BY AMY LEE

A 20-month-old Sauk Village toddler who died Wednesday night had fallen off a 4-foot high plastic slide two days earlier and suffered head injuries that led to her death, family members said.

The death of 20-month-old Deneah Cousins was ruled a homicide today after an autopsy by the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Deneah was injured Monday at a home in the 700 block of East 155th Court in Phoenix, according to Gary Petty, 53, who lives at the home with his fiancee, Sandra Johnson, Deneah's grandmother. Deneah was visiting the Phoenix home with her father, Melvin, who is Sandra's son, Petty said.

"She fell off of it and landed straight on her head," said Petty, who was at work at the time of the incident. "They didn't take her straight to the hospital. They say she stood up and walked around."

Later Monday, relatives took the toddler to the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital, Petty said. The child was in a coma at the hospital until she died at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, he said.

Police and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services are investigating the death. DCFS has had no previous contact with the family, according to spokesman Jimmie Whitelow.

"Any time a 20-month-old is injured and dies from those injuries it's suspicious," Phoenix Police Chief Melvin Davis said. "I really can't say anything right now because the investigation is ongoing."

According to Petty, Deneah was being supervised by her father and was playing on a plastic children's slide in the carport of the home when she fell.

"Melvin was straightening up out here, and she was playing on the slide, and she fell and hit her head," Petty said he was told by family members.

"If someone hurt a child, I would be the first to stand up and say so, but this was an accident. A tragic accident."