JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The parents of a 20-month-old girl were sentenced after their daughter's cause of death was determined to be acute fentanyl intoxication and they cleaned up the evidence of drug use after the hospital visit, according to the incident report.
The mother, Carlida S. Miller, 32, was found guilty of child neglect and was sentenced to two years of probation with credit for the 154 days she served.
The father, Tyeon E. Ford, 23, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter of a child. He was given a credit for 214 days served.
Miller and Ford took 20-month-old Tyonna Ford to the hospital on Monday, Dec. 19, 2022. She was unresponsive, according to the incident report.
They left the hospital after their child was declared dead by a doctor on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office was called to the hospital after the toddler was declared dead. Tyonna was also hurt on her forehead, with bruising between the eyes that was part of a unique pattern, the incident report said.
The report says the pattern indicated foul play and looked like the back grip of a handgun.
Miller went back to the hospital by herself, wearing different clothes on the day of Tyonna's death. Ford was found at a family friend's house. They were taken to JSO's headquarters to be interviewed.
Miller told detectives that she had five children, ranging from 20 months (Tyonna) to 10 years old. Three of the children were accounted for, and the other two were said to be with family members. Tyonna is the only child she shares with Ford.
Miller told JSO that on the night of the incident, Tyonna climbed into bed with her. About an hour and a half later, Miller woke up to use the restroom. She says Ford was in the living room playing video games, and the other children were asleep on the couch. When she went to check on Tyonna, she realized her daughter was not breathing. Miller and Ford took her to the hospital.
She gave written consent for JSO to search the house she and Ford share together.
While she was being interviewed, detectives searched the home. The report says they found accessories belonging to a firearm, but no firearm was found. The shower was recently used, and the kitchen was cleaned up, the report said.
Miller told detectives she legally owns a firearm and neither she, nor Ford, are prohibited from being around them. She was unable to explain why the firearm was not inside the home. She told detectives Ford does not sell or have any drugs in their home.
She later admitted she went home after the hospital to clean up and take a shower, which appeared to be unusual, the report says.
When Ford met with detectives, he told them Tyonna had been sick recently, and fussy the past few days.
Ford told JSO that on the night of the incident, he left to go pick up a friend from work. When he left, Tyonna was on the couch with the other children. When he got back home, she was in bed with Miller, the report says. He told officers he decided to play video games, and Miller came into the living room. When Miller returned to bed and found Tyonna wasn't breathing, they rushed her to the hospital.
Ford said he and Miller left to go pick up Ford's uncle and then picked up the two children who lived with them and went back to the hospital.
Ford's uncle gave JSO written consent to search the exterior of his residence. During the search, deputies found drugs and a firearm that matched the model owned by Miller in a trashcan.
Ford told detectives he did not remember where he left the firearm and denied selling and using drugs.
The Medical Examiner's Office determined that the cause of the child's death was acute fentanyl intoxication.
The report said Miller and Ford failed to show a lack of ordinary care and caution, which caused Tyonna's death. After the death of the child, they went home, cleaned up, and disposed of the drug evidence, according to the report.