Dad accused of throwing girl off bridge in court ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - A Pinellas County judge appointed a public defender for a man accused of throwing his 5-year-old daughter off a bridge. John Jonchuck on Monday refused to answer any of the judges questions. John Jonchuck had a first appearance in court Thursday. When a judge asked him whether he wanted a court-appointed attorney, Jonchuck said he wanted to leave it in the hands of God. Jonchuck was ordered to return to court Monday after a mental health evaluation. Police say 5-year-old Phoebe Jonchuck was likely alive when her father dropped her over a bridge railing, sending her into the waters of Floridas Tampa Bay. Also on Monday, the head of the Florida Department of Children and Families pledged to do a better job investigating caregivers with mental health and substance abuse issues after Phoebes death. The Tampa Bay Times reported that DCF Secretary Mike Carroll said a Critical Incident Response Team will look into the Jonchuck familys prior interactions with child protective investigators. I think our real issue is how we deal with complex substance abuse issues and mental health issues and families that are fragmented, he said. Based on the criteria, they decided it didnt rise to the level of a formal investigation, Carroll added. To me, my gut says we should investigate that every time. The night after Phoebes killing, Carroll immediately changed the departments protocol for handling calls to its hotline. If it seems a caregiver may be experiencing a psychotic episode, a child protective investigator will be required to visit the family within four hours. Friends and family held a candlelight vigil Saturday night for Phoebe. Visitation for Phoebe will take place Tuesday, and her funeral is scheduled for Wednesday. news4jax/…/dad-accused-of-throwing-…/30661434
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 01:49:46 +0000
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