Texas mom charged with murder after her toddler daughter fell to her death from a third-floor balcony

AND Houston A mother has been arrested after police say she intentionally threw her 17-month-old daughter off a hotel balcony in Galveston.

Police responded to a report of an abandoned child around 9:45 a.m. Wednesday. Upon arriving at the scene, police found a bloodied child, identified as Hanna Yonko, on the sidewalk. Emergency doctors determined that she needed life-saving care and began to administer medical care. She was later taken to UTMB Galveston Trauma Center.

However, around 10:30 a.m., shortly after arriving at the hospital, she died.

Three stab wounds were found on Hanna’s body, the affidavit said. Later, the police found her mother, 30-year-old Kanal Yonko, who was crying and asking for help. She started commenting on her daughter and said that she might be sick. After that, the police took Yonka away for further questioning.

Her sister, Mercedes Yonko, told police she shared a room with her at the Beach Front Palms hotel. Kanal went to Galveston to spend time with her sister. Mercedes claimed that Channel has sole custody of her daughter.

On the day of Hannah’s death, the sisters met in another place. Mercedes said she saw Kanal pushing the stroller. She thought Hannah was in the stroller when she saw her sister, but later told police she never actually saw the baby. However, she said she had no reason to doubt that the baby was not in the pram.

Mercedes said she wanted to go back to the hotel room, but Channel told her not to.

The channel reportedly told her sister several times to “don’t go back to the hotel.” Mercedes said she was surprised Channel said that.

During a search of the garage at the hotel, two officers found a trash bag containing a key card, a black-handled skinning knife, plastic sand toys, unused diapers and unopened baby snacks in a trash can. Police later found footage of Channel pushing a stroller in a hotel lobby.

Another footage shows Hannah falling from the third floor and landing on the grass before rolling onto the concrete pavement where she was found.

The TV channel has been charged with intentional homicide. She is being held in the Galveston County Jail without bond. Her attorney was not named.

“This is a terrible crime. All children deserve to feel safe with loved ones, especially with their own mother,” said Galveston Police Chief Doug Bally.

“Nobody ever wants to make that call. No rescuer ever wants to respond to a scene with a child who is an infant who is so injured that they may not make it.”