Syracuse Babysitter Arrested On Neglect Charge
Staff Report
SYRACUSE — A Syracuse woman was recently arrested after allegedly injuring a young child and failing to seek medical care for their injuries.
Blair Marie Johnson, 26, 203 E. Chicago St., Syracuse, is charged with neglect of a dependent and battery to a person less than 14 years of age by a person at least 18 years of age, both level 5 felonies.
On April 21, a Syracuse Police officer went to a local hospital regarding a report of physical abuse to a child. The officer spoke with a woman who said a child had been at their babysitter’s during the day.
The woman said that earlier in the day, the babysitter, later identified as Johnson, messaged her. According to court documents, Johnson told her about an incident involving the family’s dog stepping on the child. Johnson indicated in the message that the incident scared the child. She told the woman that the child was scratched.
When she picked the child up from Johnson’s residence, the woman immediately noticed that the child’s injuries were more extensive than just a scratch. At that time, Johnson also allegedly told the woman that she could no longer watch her children.
The woman confronted Johnson about the child’s injuries and asked why she did not call her if the injuries were worse than indicated. Johnson told the woman that the child’s injuries had only recently gotten worse.
At the hospital, the Syracuse officer noticed the child had a large black and blue bruise on their right eye, which was swollen shut. Medical personnel also advised the child had bleeding behind their eye. Bruising also appeared to continue around the right side of the child’s head, passing their right ear. Swelling and bruising could also be seen behind and inside the child’s right ear.
The officer also documented bruises to the base of the child’s neck, back, legs, arms and genitalia. The woman said the child was uninjured when they were dropped off at Johnson’s home.
The child told the woman they didn’t know what happened. Johnson did not seek medical treatment for the child’s injuries.
On April 23, the Syracuse officer and a Milford Police officer spoke with Johnson about the incident. Johnson said on April 21, the child was injured when the family’s dog jumped onto the child. She described the dog as acting crazy, jumping on and trampling the child. Johnson also described the child’s injury as a small scratch to their eye. She told officers that the child didn’t cry after the incident.
When they awoke after falling asleep, Johnson noticed that the injury covered the child’s whole face.
During several explanations of the events leading to the child’s injury, Johnson restated several times that the family’s dog had trampled the child. When officers mentioned that they didn’t believe the injuries were caused by the dog, Johnson said, “I think it caused a little bit of it. Not all of it, no. Not behind the ear and all that, no.”
In the interview, Johnson later told officers that she thought she may have injured the child when she was trying to get the dog off of the couch.
“I think I hit (the child),” said Johnson. “I think I tripped over (the child) and kicked (the child). It wasn’t out of anger.”
After admitting to kicking the child, Johnson said the child was crying and initially wouldn’t lay down to fall asleep. Even after seeing the extent of the child’s injuries in the morning, Johnson did not seek medical assistance.
A child abuse pediatrics consult from staff at Riley Hospital in Indianapolis stated that the blunt force impact to the child’s head that caused the injuries would have to have been forceful/violent. Medical personnel’s impression was that the injuries were not consistent with an explanation of being trampled by a dog and in absence of plausible explanation are characteristic of physical abuse.
Johnson was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on Dec. 22, with a $10,250 surety and cash bond.