911 call: Dad nuts before girl thrown off bridge Tampa father John Jonchuck, 25, is accused of the unthinkable. Police say just after midnight Thursday morning Jonchuck sped past an off-duty police officer towards Misener Bridge in St. Petersburg, Florida. He hit the brakes, pulled his 5-year-old daughter Phoebe out of the car, and threw her off the bridge to her death 60 feet below in rushing water, according to authorities. Preliminary evidence leads investigators to believe the child was alive when she was thrown off the bridge. The officer who witnessed the horrific scene rushed to the water’s edge but was unable to save the little girl; her lifeless body was found a short time later by searchers, according to St. Petersburg Police. Now a 911 call obtained by HLN reveals that Jonchucks behavior at a meeting with his family law attorney, Genevieve Torres, on Wednesday morning alarmed her so much that she feared for Phoebes life and alerted authorities. In the call, a distraught Torres can be heard saying, He seemed nuts…He kept saying I was the creator, I was God, and then he wanted me to read the bible to him in Swedish.” She goes on to say, “He’s out of his mind and he has a minor child with him and I should have kept the child.” Torres also tells the operator, “I was supposed to file papers today and he told me not to file the papers because it’s not going to matter anymore….That really scared me.” HLN spoke to Torres, who told us she was hoping the police would enact the Baker Act on Jonchuck, referring to the Florida law that allows a person to be held for up to three days if authorities believe he or she wants to hurt themselves or someone else. According to Detective Larry McKinnon, public information officer with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, deputies specifically trained to deal with the mentally ill did go and meet with both Jonchuck and his pastor Wednesday but determined he was not a threat to himself or others. In a sheriff’s office report, one of the deputies wrote, “Jonchuck knew the time of day and date; he was aware of his surroundings and was answering all of my questions without any difficulty or confusion.” She then went on to say that Phoebe Jonchuck was “smiling and appeared healthy, properly clothed and happy.” Genevieve Torres said Jonchuck, who is not married to Phoebe’s mother and had recently retained Torres for a custody issue, called her several more times that afternoon. Further alarmed, Torres decided to call the Florida Department of Children and Families, hoping shed get a different response. Torres said she told the DCF operator, “Im really concerned for the child…I think hes delusional and Im concerned for the safety of the child. Ive called you, I called police. Im telling you something is not right and Im concerned for the child.” Torres said DCF told her they didn’t think the child was in imminent danger. In response to the Jonchuck case, DCF announced late yesterday that they are changing their policies. DCF Secretary Mike Carroll released this statement: After the tragic loss of Phoebe, the department is immediately changing our Hotline criteria to include a trigger for when a caregiver is believed to be experiencing a psychotic episode that would require a CPI visit within four hours and a notification to law enforcement. We have to do more for the children, like Phoebe, who depend on us to protect them. After hearing of the policy changes, Torres said, “While I was surprised with the swiftness of DCF’s change and pleased that action is being taken, more can be and needs to be done. Phoebe did not need to die. I didn’t ask to be an advocate, but if I can help ensure the system does not fail another child, then that’s what I’ll be.” Jonchuck, who has a history of domestic violence arrests, is now charged with first-degree murder, fleeing police, and aggravated assault on an officer with a motor vehicle. At a court appearance Thursday, Jonchuck told the judge he didnt want a lawyer and would leave his fate in the hands of God.” The judge ordered that Jonchuck be held without bond and return to court on Monday.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 20:27:03 +0000
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