Mom Allegedly Throws 17-Month-Old Baby From Hotel Balcony and Leaves Her on the Street
(abc13)
GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) – Court documents have revealed shocking new information about the death of 17-month-old Hannah, who was found near the seawall in Galveston on Wednesday. The child’s mother, 30-year-old Channel Yonko, has been charged with capital murder, accused of throwing her toddler from a third-floor hotel balcony. On Thursday morning, Yonko appeared in court, where a magistrate judge denied her bond.
Child Protective Services (CPS) confirmed that they had a history with Yonko, though they noted it did not involve her daughter Hannah. The tragic discovery of Hannah’s body on 59th Street, near a growing memorial, has left the community in mourning.
According to court documents, police obtained surveillance footage from the Beach Front Palms Hotel showing Hannah falling from the third-floor balcony before rolling onto the concrete sidewalk below. The charging documents also allege that Hannah suffered multiple stab wounds, with investigators believing Yonko threw her from the balcony, causing her death.
Shortly after Hannah was discovered, Yonko was located nearby. According to the police report, she was crying, asking for help, and reportedly mentioned concerns about her daughter’s health. During her court appearance, Yonko, dressed in a dark green jumpsuit, asked to call her attorney but was advised by the magistrate judge to refrain from asking questions until after her rights were read.
The heartbreaking news has shaken Galveston residents, many of whom have paid respects at the memorial for Hannah, including UTMB pediatric nurse Jasmine Hernandez. “It’s really upsetting news,” Hernandez said, adding that when she heard Hannah had been taken to the hospital, she had hoped they could save her. She laid flowers and a doll at the memorial in the young girl’s honor.
Court records reveal that Yonko and her daughter were staying at the hotel with Yonko’s sister. ABC13 spoke to Brandon Uriba, who found Hannah wrapped in a blanket on 59th Street while driving by. “It was heartbreaking to see that—a precious, beautiful little girl lying there lifeless,” Uriba shared.
In their investigation, police found a trash bag in the hotel’s parking garage containing Yonko’s room key, a knife, plastic sand toys, unused diapers, and unopened children’s snacks. These details have left the community grappling with the tragedy, questioning how a mother could allegedly harm her child. “She was supposed to protect her from day one, but instead, she let her down,” Hernandez said.
Further information obtained by Eyewitness News reveals Yonko’s complicated past, including a 2017 marriage to an 80-year-old man, which was annulled two years later. The annulment documents indicate the man claimed he was deceived into the marriage, which he said was never consummated.
He also claimed Yonko had a child with another man during their marriage, a man who reportedly has a criminal record spanning several states. As Galveston mourns the tragic loss, questions remain about the circumstances and motives behind this deeply unsettling case.
