Tragedy as boy, 3, dies from drowning after 'laying unconscious in pool for 20 minutes before babysitter realized'

Published: 00:01, 8 June 2026 | Updated: 00:14, 8 June 2026 A toddler was left floating unconscious in his babysitter's pool for about 20 minutes before she realized. The sitter, 37-year-old Joann Johnson, is now facing one count of negligent homicide in connection with three-year-old Ian Perez's death on May 18.  Authorities said deputies with the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office responded to  911 call just before 4pm about a drowning at a home on Roy Rogers Road in Prairieville, Louisiana. Deputies and medical responders then raced to the scene and attempted lifesaving measures before Ian was airlifted to Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. As part of an ensuing investigation, detectives learned Johnson was operating an unlicensed in-home daycare at the time of the incident. There, two young children in her care were caught on surveillance footage playing near a swimming pool in the backyard without any safety gear on. Ian then fell into the pool, struggled in the water, and remained unconscious for approximately 20 minutes before Johnson was seen jumping into the pool to save the young boy. 'One of the hardest parts of watching this video is seeing little Ian struggle for his life for several minutes,' Donovan Jackson, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, told WAFB. 'And the hardest part of watching this is seeing him in the pool for about 20 minutes after he had drowned.' 'For over 20 minutes, there was no supervision,' he reiterated. Joann Johnson, 37, is facing one count of negligent homicide in connection with three-year-old Ian Perez's death on May 18 The young boy was caught on surveillance footage falling into the pool, struggling in the water, and lying unconscious for approximately 20 minutes before Johnson was seen jumping into the pool The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office responded to 911 call just before 4pm about a drowning at a home on Roy Rodgers Road in Prairieville, Louisiana, where Johnson was operating an unlicensed in-home daycare Authorities then decided to charge Johnson with negligent homicide based on the amount of time the toddler was left in the pool. 'We understand that accidents happen,' he said. 'You may lose sight of them for a minute or two, maybe five minutes, but for over 20 minutes, that is a problem and that is clear negligence,' Jackson said. Deputies then secured a warrant for Johnson's arrest, and she turned herself in to authorities on June 3. Her bond was set at $100,000, but she was released from jail after posting just $10,000, according to WAFB. If convicted, Johnson faces two to 10 years in prison under Louisiana law as the victim was under the age of 10. Following the tragedy, the Perez family released a statement describing Ian as 'the friendliest child you could ever meet. 'He was very charismatic and full of energy,' the statement to WAFB read. 'He absolutely loved playing with his bicycle, toy car and stuffed animals. 'He was very close to his five-year-old sister, Deyrin Perez,' it continued, noting: 'Their mother was a single parent, constantly striving for her children; they were always the most important thing in her life.' Following the tragedy, the Perez family released a statement describing Ian as 'the friendliest child you could ever meet' Deputies are now urging pool owners to take extra precautions as the summer begins. 'If you're going to have a pool and have children around that pool, especially children who are not yours, you better make sure you have every safety measure in place,' Jackson said. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.