A toxicology report says that a 16-month-old toddler shot dead by his 5-year-old brother had marijuana in his blood at the time of his death. That brother has tested positive for cocaine, accoring to police.
New details are emerging about the tragic death of a toddler in Indiana who cops say was killed by his 5-year-old brother.
A toxicology report says 16-month-old Isiah Johnson had marijuana in his blood at the time of his death in March, while his brother tested positive for cocaine in May, cops say in a probable cause affidavit obtained by Inside Edition Digital.
Jermaine Johnson, 27, and Shatia Tiara Welch, 24, have now been arrested and face a slew of charges, four months after police say Isiah was shot in the head by his older brother and two months after the older brother "tested positive for cocaine and other metabolites in substantial excess of reporting limit," according to the affidavit.
Shatia is the mother to both boys, while Johnson is the father to Isiah.
Johnson had been home with the boys at the time of the shooting, according to the probable cause affidavit.
The affidavit says that Johnson told police he fell asleep on the couch at some point and then awoke after hearing a "loud boom."
Johnson later denied having a gun in the home multiple times according to the affidavit, but then told police that Welch did have a gun.
Welch who said she was not home at the time of the shooting told officers that she did have a gun which she kept locked in a safe under her bed, noting that there were two locks requiring two separate keys, according to the affidavit.
She told police "one [key] was on her person and one [key] she claimed she lost a few days ago." according to the affidavit.
A search of the apartment turned up close to 100 fentanyl pills in places where the 5-year-old would have been able to access them, according to the affidavit, as well as a marijuana grinder.
The affidavit says that police reviewed surveillance footage that allegedly showed that Johnson removing a large quantity of marijuana from the home and put it into his car before police arrived on the scene.
PROBABLE CAUSE AFFIDAVIT FOR JERMAINE JOHNSON & SHATIA WELCH
Welch said that she had no knowledge of Johnson's possible "drug activity" when asked by police, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Both have been charged with nine felony counts according to the court docket, including:
- Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death
- Neglect of a Dependent
- Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Bodily Injury
- Neglect of a Dependent
- Dealing in a Narcotic Drug Manufacture/Deliver/Finance-10 or more grams (Conspiracy to Commit)
- Dealing in a Narcotic Drug Manufacture/Deliver/Finance-10 or more grams
- Possession of a Narcotic Drug-Possession of b/t 10 and 28 grams
- Dealing in Marijuana weighing b/t 30 grams & 10 pounds. (Conspiracy to Commit)
- Dealing in Marijuana weighing b/t 30 grams & 10 pounds.
The court docket shows that they couple also faces two misdemeanor counts of:
- Possession of Marijuana
- Possession of Paraphernalia
Johnson also faces an additional felony charge of obstruction of justice for allegedly moving marijuana out of the home before police arrived on the scene.
The pair were arrested on Monday by officers with the LaPorte City Police Department during a traffic stop according to the Lafayette Police Department.
Jail records show they were then booked into the Tippecanoe County Jail on Tuesday.
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