Inset: Jovanna Allen (Dimon Funeral Home). Background: Home in Wiconisco Township, Pennsylvania, where Jovanna drowned, cops say (Google Maps).
A 32-year-old woman allegedly fell asleep after drinking Crown Royal Apple which led to her 10-month-old daughter drowning in a bathtub at a Pennsylvania home.
Sadie Marie Ressler, who celebrated her birthday Monday by being taken to jail, faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of endangering the welfare of children, records say.
According to a criminal complaint, the Pennsylvania State Police responded around 7:30 p.m. Aug. 14 to a home in the 500 block of Center Street in Wiconisco Township, which is roughly 30 miles northeast of Harrisburg. Ressler's neighbor called 911 after she ran out of her home screaming for help. Troopers arrived at the home to find the girl unresponsive.
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The victim, Jovanna Allen, was rushed to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. In an interview with detectives after being given her Miranda rights, Ressler said she was the sole caregiver at the time for Jovanna and a 2-year-old child. She placed both children in the bathtub with several inches of water. Jovanna was "underdeveloped" and not yet capable of "self-rescue while in water," cops wrote.
Ressler said she was seated against a sink while the kids were in the tub and she was "scrolling" on the phone, per the affidavit. She claimed she was unable to see the back part of the bathtub and when she looked inside she saw Jovanna "floating face down" in the water. Ressler said she picked up the girl from the tub. When cops asked her what happened next she said "I don't even know," claiming she couldn't remember.
The defendant denied using any alcohol or drugs, the affidavit stated. But when cops searched the home they allegedly found an open bottle of Crown Royal Apple and burnt marijuana cigarettes in an ashtray next to a playpen which was in reach of the kids. Troopers also described the home as "cluttered and unkempt." There were several uninflated balloons throughout the first floor of the home that could be a choking hazard for small children, cops said.
Hospital staff drew Ressler's blood about four hours after the 911 call that showed she had a blood alcohol content of 0.035. Troopers believe it was "significantly higher" at the time she placed her kids in the bathtub, the complaint stated. Detectives also discovered that while she was at the hospital she made two Google searches on her phone: "Can you tell how much alcohol I drank from a blood test?" and "How long does alcohol stay in the blood?"
In October, Ressler conducted a second interview with detectives with her attorney present during which she changed her story about what happened the night of the drowning. She allegedly admitted that she "fell asleep" while sitting on the floor as the kids were taking a bath.
"The defendant admitted to conduct that is negligent and reckless, placing the victims in the circumstance that ultimately caused one death and endangered the other in the same manner," troopers concluded.
Ressler is slated to next appear in court on Jan. 7.
Jovanna's obituary said she "brought immense pride and joy to her family."
"She was the perfect little girl. Being born premature, Jovanna overcame many obstacles and was thriving, just beginning to learn to crawl. Her beautiful blue eyes could light up any room," the obituary said.
