May 16, 2022- 8:18 p.m.
Police in Davenport, Florida received a 911 call for an unresponsive child. When they arrived, they found a 2-year-old who had been starved to death.
On May 10, 2022, Johnson called 911, and told the operator his 2-year-old was unresponsive. When they arrived, they discovered a 2-year-old who appeared to be malnourished in an inflatable pool that was used as her playpen.
When questioned, Johnson told police that the toddler, who has not been identified, had eaten a sandwich and chicken nuggets the day prior, which Sheriff Judd called “a ball-faced lie.”
Tillman told police she called 911 earlier, but the dispatcher told them they were busy, which was also not true.
The medical examiner had determined the toddler had nothing in her stomach and “only slight traces of fecal matter in the intestines.”
The toddler had suffered from long-term starvation. When she was born she weighed 6lbs 10oz; at the tome her death she only weighed 9lbs. In two years and 4 months, the toddler gained 1 ounce.
The medical examiner stated at the time of death, the two-year-old would not have been able to stand, walk, or talk.
In 2019, DCF was called to investigate a claim of child abuse/neglect. According to news outlets, the case was closed when the parents promised they would get medical help and the child gained weight.
At the time of her arrest, Tillman told police she was 4 months pregnant.
Sheriff Judd also mentioned that Tillman weighed 144lbs., Johnson weighed 213 lbs., and that there was plenty of food in the house.
Both Arhonda Tillman and Regis Johnson have both been charged with aggravated child abuse. Sheriff Judd stated during a press conference that they will be seeking murder charges after their investigation is completed.
Johnson’s brother, Frank Robinson, 64, was arrested and charged with negligent child abuse and failure to report child abuse in the home.
