GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Juanisha Joy Johnson, 24, was arrested early this morning on a child-neglect charge after taking her 2-month-old son to a hospital with a brain bleed and other serious injuries. The infant remains in critical condition and may not survive, authorities reported.
According to a Gainesville Police Department officer, Johnson is transient and serves as the guardian of the infant and a 2-year-old girl. She had reportedly been staying for roughly two weeks with a longtime friend who later became a witness in the case.
At about 1 p.m. on October 4, Johnson took both children to UF Health Shands. Medical staff told police that the infant had been intubated and diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, a brain bleed and broken ribs. The rib fractures appeared to be older and were beginning to heal. Doctors described the child’s condition as critical and life-threatening, and the arrest report said it was unclear whether he would survive.
The 2-year-old was found with a hematoma on her forehead, a large abrasion that was partially healed and another abrasion on her left temple. Investigators said some of the injuries appeared recent, while others were scabbed over or healing.
An officer interviewed the witness, who had contacted law enforcement at about 9 a.m. after becoming concerned that Johnson was abusing the children. The witness reported seeing burn marks on both children and said the infant was bleeding from the mouth.
The witness told police she had cared for the children overnight while Johnson was away. During that time, she noticed blood coming from the infant’s mouth, significant swelling around his eyes and what she described as “a lot of blood.” The infant was not eating, appeared distressed, struggled to remain asleep and cried intermittently. Around midnight, the witness contacted Johnson via FaceTime and described the symptoms. According to the witness, Johnson did not appear alarmed and did not want to seek medical care, reportedly saying she did not want law enforcement or the Department of Children and Families involved.
The witness also told investigators that Johnson had recently admitted to “whooping” the 2-year-old as a form of discipline. She said the girl had a “knot” on her head and an abrasion along the side of her head, but she did not know how either child had been injured.
The officer reviewed the witness’s phone and confirmed that she had communicated with Johnson while caring for the children.
Johnson reportedly returned to the witness’s home at about 7 a.m. on October 4 and saw the infant’s injuries herself. She then took both children and left the residence.
Police later contacted Johnson at the hospital. She agreed to go to Gainesville Police Department headquarters for questioning.
After being read her Miranda rights, Johnson reportedly acknowledged that the witness had told her about the children’s injuries and the infant’s symptoms. She described the bleeding from the infant’s mouth as “excessive,” saying it was falling onto his shirt. Johnson claimed the infant sometimes scratched his mouth, which she said explained the bleeding. However, the officer wrote that the amount of blood described by both Johnson and the witness was not consistent with an infant accidentally scratching himself.
Johnson also reportedly said she knew the infant was in pain because he was making “squeaking” sounds and behaving abnormally. He was not eating, which she said was unusual because he normally had a strong appetite. She acknowledged that his eyes were severely swollen and that he did not look like himself, reportedly stating, “I knew something was wrong.” She also admitted she was aware of the 2-year-old’s injuries.
Johnson told police that after leaving the witness’s home, she drove around Gainesville and stopped at her grandfather’s house. As the day continued, she said the infant’s condition worsened. At about 11 a.m., she checked into a hotel with both children, where she noticed the infant twitching and his eyes moving back and forth. She acknowledged that those symptoms were “notably concerning.” Johnson said she then drove to CVS to pick up her own medication. During the drive, the 2-year-old repeatedly said, “Ow!”
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The officer also found text messages from Johnson to the witness that read, “He having seizures” and “And not waking up bruh.”
Johnson reportedly said she contacted a pediatrician and was instructed to take the infant to a hospital. She told police she arrived between 11 a.m. and noon, but hospital personnel reported that she arrived at approximately 1 p.m.
When questioned about the delay in seeking treatment, Johnson reportedly said she did not understand that the infant’s symptoms were so serious. The officer noted, however, that Johnson had previously acknowledged being concerned about the child’s condition.
Johnson said she did not know how either child was injured. She claimed the witness’s son had thrown a plastic toy at the 2-year-old, but the officer wrote that the girl’s injuries were significant and did not appear consistent with being struck by a plastic object thrown by a preschooler.
Regarding the infant’s broken ribs, Johnson reportedly said he had undergone X-rays a week or two earlier and no injuries had been identified. She said the fractures occurred while she was living with the witness and acknowledged that only she and the witness had supervised the children during that period.
The officer wrote that the infant’s injuries were “consistent with that of significant trauma and/or force” and involved multiple areas of the body. Such injuries, the officer noted, are not typically caused by accidental or incidental circumstances. Johnson reportedly knew about the infant’s injuries by about 8 a.m. but did not seek medical attention until roughly 1 p.m., during which time his symptoms worsened to the point that he may not survive.
The officer also wrote that the 2-year-old’s injuries were “clearly consistent with that of trauma and/or injury.” Johnson had reportedly acknowledged hearing the child repeatedly say, “Ow!”
At the conclusion of the interview, the officer took possession of Johnson’s cell phone as evidence; some time later, Johnson asked to copy some numbers from her contacts. When an officer told her she would be supervised while accessing her phone, she allegedly became confrontational and grabbed her phone. When an officer tried to take it back, Johnson allegedly resisted this and refused to surrender the phone until it was forcibly taken from her.
Johnson has been charged with child neglect with great bodily harm, child neglect without great bodily harm, attempting to tamper with evidence, and resisting an officer without violence. Her only local criminal history is a child neglect charge from 2021; she was charged with allowing a child to place two hands around a one-year-old’s neck and lift the toddler off the ground, and instead of intervening, she recorded a video of the incident. Johnson later signed a sworn affidavit admitting to these charges as part of a pre-trial intervention agreement; after she violated the agreement by leaving the county without permission, the agreement was revoked. She entered into a second pre-trial intervention agreement about a year later and successfully completed it, leading to the prosecution being dropped.
Judge Joy Danne set bail at $145,000.