DONTRELL JOHNSON - 14 Months (2010)/ Convicted: Father; Donald Johnson - Chicago IL

Dead toddler found floating in lake is missing child

October 7, 2010

Sun-Times Media Wire
A toddler who died after being found floating in Lake Michigan on the Southeast Side on Thursday afternoon is Dontrell Johnson, the 14-month-old allegedly taken by his father earlier this week, sources said.About 2:15 p.m., a recreational boater found the child, who initially was believed to be a doll, floating in Lake Michigan off of East 68th Street, Fire Media Affairs Dir. Larry Langford said. They realized it was a child, called for help and were met by an ambulance crew who tried to "work the child," Langford said. The child was rushed to University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital in "extremely critical condition," he said. Doctors attempted to warm him, but efforts did not work and the boy was pronounced dead about 3:45 p.m., he said. The family has confirmed the boy is Dontrell Johnson, a 14-month-old missing since Monday, sources said. Dontrell was allegedly picked up by his father from the 9400 block of South Harvard Avenue, an endangered juvenile alert from Calumet Area detectives said. The father then refused to return the child to the mother and threatened to do bodily harm to the toddler. The father was later located and arrested, but refused to divulge Dontrell’s whereabouts, the alert said. The Cook County Medical Examiner's office confirmed the fatality but could not provide further information Thursday evening. The father remained in custody Thursday evening but no charges had been filed, police said.http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2782286,child-lake-michigan-rescue-100710.article

ABC7's Sarah Schulte and Paul Meincke
October 7, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- A boy who died after being pulled from Lake Michigan has been identified as missing toddler Dontrell Johnson. The child was pronounced dead Thursday at 3:45 p.m., according to the boy's family. His body was found by a boater in Lake Michigan about three miles from the shore at 68th Street around 2 p.m. "We had some concerned citizens make a phone call into our marine unit. They were fishing and came upon the baby floating in the water," said Sgt. Jeffrey Coleman, Chicago Special Victims Unit. The citizens apparently brought the baby onboard and took him to Jackson Harbor, where efforts were made to resuscitate the child. He was then rushed to University of Chicago Comer's Children's Hospital where he died an hour and half later. The medical examiner will determine how long the child was in the water.Dontrell was last seen by his paternal grandmother on Wednesday. His father, Donald Johnson, refused to return the boy to his mother or tell police the whereabouts of the toddler. He is in jail after threatening to harm his son.
Earlier Thursday, Dontrell's mother, Regina Quarles, pleaded for help in finding the missing child. Quarles, 25, called police to report the child missing after her ex-boyfriend Johnson allegedly made threatening phone calls. "One hundred plus, back to back to back, he kept saying the same thing, 'You don't understand. He gone. Your fault...'" Quarles said of the calls from Johnson. "He called my phone, 'It's too late.' I said, 'What do you mean by that?' He didn't say," said Quarles' sister. On Monday Johnson took the boy to his mother's Chinatown apartment. She told family members she saw the toddler Wednesday afternoon. Johnson, 30, has been in police custody at Area 2 Headquarters since Wednesday night. He refused to tell police what happened to his son. Quarles said she and Johnson no longer have a relationship, but did share custody of Dontrell. Quarles said Johnson refused to return the toddler and threatened his life after she refused to continue a relationship with him
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7711472

A toddler who died after being found floating in Lake Michigan on the Southeast Side on Thursday afternoon is Dontrell Johnson, the 14-month-old allegedly taken by his father earlier this week, sources said.About 2:15 p.m., a recreational boater found the child, who initially was believed to be a doll, floating in Lake Michigan off of East 68th Street, Fire Media Affairs Dir. Larry Langford said.
They realized it was a child, called for help and were met by an ambulance crew who tried to get the child breathing, Langford said. The child was rushed to University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital in "extremely critical condition," he said. Doctors attempted to warm him, but efforts did not work and the boy was pronounced dead about 3:45 p.m., he said. The family has confirmed the boy is Dontrell Johnson, a 14-month-old missing since Monday, sources said. Dontrell was allegedly picked up by his father from the 9400 block of South Harvard Avenue, an endangered juvenile alert from Calumet Area detectives said. The father then refused to return the child to the mother and threatened to do bodily harm to the toddler. The father was later located and arrested, but refused to divulge Dontrell’s whereabouts, the alert said. The Cook County Medical Examiner's office confirmed the fatality but could not provide further information Thursday evening. The father remained in custody Thursday evening but no charges had been filed, police said. It is a "continuing investigation," said Tandra Simonton, Cook County State's Attorney's office spokesman.

A South Side man was charged with murder Friday night in the strangling death of his 14-month-old son after the child was found floating in Lake Michigan. Donald Johnson, 30, of the 2200 block of South Princeton, was charged with one count of first-degree murder, Cook County state's attorney's office spokeswoman Sally Daly said. Johnson has a bond hearing today.Dontrell Johnson, of 7800 S. Greenwood, was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital after he was pulled from the lake near 6800 S. Lake Shore Dr. on Thursday, the Cook County medical examiner's office said. A boater found the child floating in Lake Michigan off East 68th Street on Thursday, officials said. An autopsy Friday revealed the baby died of strangulation, and his death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner's office said.Dontrell had been missing since Monday, when his father picked him up from a relative's home in the 9400 bock of South Harvard, police said.Police issued an "endangered juvenile" alert Thursday, saying the father had refused to return Dontrell and threatened the child. The alert said the father had been taken into custody but said he refused to divulge the child's location.Johnson recently had sought to reunite with the boy's mother, a family spokeswoman said, but she refused.

Bond denied for father of toddler found in lake

October 9, 2010

A man accused of murdering his 14-month-old son — found strangled, his body floating in Lake Michigan last week — has a “long history” of domestic violence and was angry with the child’s mother, believing she had a new man in her life, prosecutors said Saturday. Cook County Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. ordered Donald Johnson, 30, held without bond after hearing the prosecution outline the case against the South Side man.
Johnson’s son, Dontrell Johnson, was found floating in Lake Michigan on the Southeast Side Thursday. A recreational boater initially thought the boy was a doll, but then called for help after realizing the mistake.

Dontrell Johnson



Dontrell was pronounced dead later in the day at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital. An autopsy found that the boy had been strangled.

In court Saturday, Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Cheronis told the judge that Johnson was taking care of his son at Johnson’s mother’s apartment in the 2200 block of South Princeton Wednesday. Dontrell’s mother, Regina Quarles, had no formal custody arrangement, Cheronis said. Johnson began texting Quarles Wednesday morning, explaining that her son was crying and needed to see her.

But Quarles ignored the requests to come to the South Princeton address because she was “trying to break it off” with Johnson, Cheronis said. Later that day, Johnson called Quarles and told her he was angry that she wouldn’t come over. He said he planned to kill himself and their son, Cheronis said.

Johnson made similar threats in calls to Quarles’ relatives, Cheronis said. At some point in the day, Johnson told Quarles’ mother the boy was gone. Johnson also called his own aunt and uncle, saying the boy was “in a better place.”
Police arrested Johnson Wednesday night, after his uncle arranged for a friend to pick up Johnson “under the pretense that they would go for a drink,” Cheronis said.

Johnson initially told police that Dontrell was on the West Side and that if he were released, Johnson would bring the child to them. But when Johnson was allowed to speak to his mother alone, he told her he was angry at Quarles because she never came to see him and that he believed she was dating someone new, prosecutors said.

Family and friends held a vigil along the lakefront Sunday for Dontrell Johnson, the 14-month-old boy who was allegedly killed by his father. Those attending held candles and released a pair of birds as they remembered the young boy. Last Monday, Dontrell Young's father, Donald Johnson, picked up the boy for a visit. The man is accused of later calling Dontrell's mother and threatening to harm the child. The toddler's body was found in Lake Michigan Thursday. Sunday, his mother thanked the boater who found her son. Prosecutors have charged Donald Johnson with murdering his son. An autopsy found the boy had been strangled.

A South Side man accused of strangling his 14-month-old son and then dumping the body in Lake Michigan was formally charged with murder on Thursday.

Donald Johnson, 30, of the 2200 block of South Princeton, was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder for the death of his son, according to Cook County State's Attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton.The body of Dontrell Johnson was found floating in the lake on Oct. 7. The toddler was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital after being pulled from the water, the Cook County Medical examiner’s office said.A boater found the child floating in Lake Michigan off East 68th Street, officials said. An autopsy revealed the baby died of strangulation and his death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.Johnson, a convicted felon, was charged after Dontrell was positively identified and the autopsy revealed he was murdered, police said. He was ordered held without bond on Oct. 9.Dontrell had been missing since Oct. 4, when his father picked him up from a relative’s home in the 9400 bock of South Harvard, police said.On Oct. 6, Johnson began telling the boy's mother and other family members that he might harm the child and himself, police said.Calumet Area detectives found Johnson on the evening of Oct. 6. After giving police a fictitious name and date of birth during an interview, he was arrested but refused to cooperate, police said.Police issued an “endangered juvenile” alert saying the father had refused to return Dontrell and threatened the child. The alert said Donald Johnson had been taken into custody but refused to divulge the child’s location.Johnson recently had sought to reunite with the boy’s mother, a family
spokeswoman said, but she refused.He is scheduled for arraignment on Nov. 19, Simonton said.

Dontrell Johnson, 14 months

Dontrell Johnson, 14 months old, was found dead in Lake Michigan Oct. 7, 2010. His father pleaded guilty in his murder May 29, 2013.



http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-dontrell-johnson-14-months-20130529,0,5217542.photo