GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) — Court documents have revealed shocking new information in the death of 17-month-old Hannah, who was found near the boardwalk in Galveston on Wednesday. The boy’s mother, Channel Yonko, 30, has been charged with capital murder, accused of throwing her little boy from a hotel’s third-floor balcony. On Thursday morning, Yonko appeared in court, where a judge denied him bail.
Child Protective Services (CPS) confirmed that they had a history with Yonko, although they noted that it did not involve his daughter Hannah. The tragic discovery of Hannah’s body on 59th Street, near a growing memorial, has left the community in mourning.
According court documentsPolice obtained surveillance footage from the Beach Front Palms Hotel that showed Hannah falling from the third-floor balcony before rolling to the concrete sidewalk below. Charging documents also allege that Hannah suffered multiple stab wounds, and investigators believe Yonko threw her from the balcony, causing her death.
Shortly after Hannah was discovered, Yonko was nearby. According to the police reportShe was crying, asking for help, and reportedly mentioned her concern for her daughter’s health. During her court appearance, Yonko, dressed in a dark green jumpsuit, asked to call her attorney, but the judge advised her to refrain from asking questions until her rights were read.
The heartbreaking news has shaken Galveston residents, many of whom have paid their respects at Hannah’s memorial, including UTMB pediatric nurse Jasmine Hernandez. “It’s really disturbing news,” Hernandez said, adding that when he heard Hannah had been taken to the hospital, he hoped they could save her. He placed flowers and a doll at the monument in honor of the young woman.
Court records reveal that Yonko and his daughter were staying at the hotel with Yonko’s sister. ABC13 spoke with Brandon Uriba, who found Hannah wrapped in a blanket on 59th Street while driving. “It was heartbreaking to see that: a beautiful, beautiful girl lying there lifeless,” Uriba shared.
In their investigation, police found a trash bag in the hotel parking lot containing Yonko’s room key, a knife, plastic sand toys, unused diapers and unopened children’s snacks. These details have left the community grappling with the tragedy, wondering how a mother could allegedly harm her son. “He was supposed to protect her from day one, but instead, he let her down,” Hernandez said.
More information obtained by Eyewitness News reveals Yonko’s complicated past, including a 2017 marriage to an 80-year-old man, which was annulled two years later. The annulment documents indicate that the man claimed he was tricked into entering into a marriage, which he said was never consummated.
He also claimed that Yonko had a child with another man during their marriage, a man who reportedly has a criminal record in multiple states. As Galveston mourns the tragic loss, questions remain about the circumstances and motives behind this deeply disturbing case.