Galveston mother accused of throwing toddler from balcony to have mental evaluation

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A woman who's accused of throwing her toddler from a Galveston hotel balcony in October will be tested to see if she's competent to stand trial.

Channel Yonko, 30, is charged with capital murder for the death of her 17-month-old daughter Hannah. Yonko has been held in the Galveston County Jail since the girl's death.

Authorities have ordered mental health evaluations for Yonko. Her trial is set to begin in December 2025 and is expected to last about two weeks.

The DA's office has not yet determined if they plan to pursue the death penalty in the case.

The child was found in the middle of 59th Street, near the seawall in the afternoon on Oct. 23, 2024.

According to court documents, police say they have surveillance video from the second story at the Beach Front Palms Hotel, where it appears the toddler fell from the third-floor balcony and then rolled onto the concrete sidewalk.

The documents also allege the baby had multiple stab wounds. Investigators believe Hannah's mother dropped her from the balcony, killing her.

ORIGINAL REPORT: Mom charged after toddler was found near Kroger along Galveston Seawall and died, police say

Yonko was taken into custody shortly after Hannah was discovered on 59th Street. When an officer located her nearby, she was allegedly crying and asking for help and made comments about how her daughter might have been sick.

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According to court documents, Yonko and Hannah were staying at the hotel with Yonko's sister.

ABC13 spoke to Brandon Uriba, who said he found Hannah while driving down 59th Street. He said he noticed the girl wrapped in a blanket.

"It was heartbreaking to see that. To see a little precious, beautiful, perfect little girl laying there lifeless," Uriba said.

Police said they also found a trash bag at the hotel parking garage with Yonko's room key, a knife, plastic sand toys, unused diapers, and unopened kid snacks.

A marriage certificate Eyewitness News obtained shows Yonko, then 23, married an 80-year-old man in 2017.

Two years later, he filed to have the marriage annulled, claiming he was tricked into marrying her and that the marriage was never consummated.

He also claimed Yonko had a child during their marriage with another man, who Eyewitness News learned has an extensive criminal record in multiple states.