Marjahni Johnson {BSO}
A Lauderhill mother was arrested after her two-year-old child was found wandering outside in the middle of the night.
According to Lauderhill Police Department records, in the early hours of November 25, a 911 call was received reporting that a toddler, dressed only in pajamas, was found wandering outside near Northwest 18th Street and Northwest 55th Avenue.
Law enforcement noted in its report that the area contained heavy traffic, which posed an imminent risk to the child, who could have been struck by a passing vehicle.
Records show officers arrived on the scene and began searching for the child’s guardian, and the child’s mother, later identified as Marjahni Johnson, 32, of Lauderhill, was located at 1:03 a.m.
Upon questioning, records show Johnson admitted she had left her child inside her apartment watching YouTube on a cellphone while she met a male friend to retrieve her purse. Johnson also told officers that after briefly checking on her child, she returned to sit inside a vehicle parked behind the apartment complex, where she could not see her home.
Johnson claimed she was unaware of how long she was away.
The Department of Children and Families was notified due to Johnson’s prior history of neglect. In 2023, Johnson left the same child unattended in a running vehicle at a park in Coral Springs, an incident resulted in her receiving a citation and DCF intervention.
DCF investigators responded to the scene and requested that Johnson submit to a urine drug test, which medical records show later tested positive for alcohol and marijuana.
Johnson was arrested and charged with child neglect. She was transported to the Broward County Main Jail and released after posting a $5,000 bond.
According to court records, the child has been placed in DCF custody for safety while further investigations are conducted.
Got News? Send it to Tamarac Talk. Don’t Miss Reading NW Broward County’s #1 News Sites: Margate Talk, Coral Springs Talk, Coconut Creek Talk, Parkland Talk, and South FL News.
1 comment
Safety is the number one priority for children. However, the prior issue was the child in a car at the park with the motor running, which should mean that the child had air conditioning. However, the complete circumstances of case are not known by the readers. With the most recent case, the mother was wrong to leave the house and (apparently) use drugs and alcohol. However, a nanny cam can usually assist a mother if she does not to step away from the home, up to a certain distance.