Aunt Arrested After Siblings Found Dead In Car By Police

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — The aunt of the two children found deceased in a car during a traffic stop in Essex Wednesday has been arrested in connection to their deaths. Baltimore County Police have arrested and charged 33-year-old Nicole M. Johnson of the 3500 block of Elmora Ave.

According to the Baltimore County Police Department, Johnson's niece and nephew, siblings 7-year-old Joshlyn Johnson and 5-year-old Larry O’Neil, were found in a vehicle that was stopped just after 11 p.m. Wednesday on Eastern Boulevard near Wagners Lane in Essex.

Charging documents reveal that Johnson drove around with the body of her niece in her trunk for more than a year, then in May put the little girl's younger brother in her trunk beside her decomposing body.

The Baltimore Sun noted that during the traffic stop, officers discovered Johnson's car had a fake temporary tag and registration. She also had been driving without a license. When the officer issued a citation for Johnson to appear in court and told her that her car would have to be towed, Johnson supposedly told the officer, “It don’t matter, I won’t be here in five days,” and “Y’all going to see me on the news making my big debut.”

As soon as the officer cleared out the trunk so the car could be towed, he smelled decomposition coming from plastic bags in the trunk, The Baltimore Sun reported. One body was found in a suitcase, the other inside a plastic tote bag. When the officer found the first body, Johnson tried to run.

She told officers that she was staying at the Regal Inn in Rosedale when she hit Joshlyn several times and the little girl hit her head on the floor. Then Johnson put her body in the suitcase in her car, The Baltimore Sun shared. According to charging documents, Larry told Johnson he was tired, laid down to sleep and never woke up. So she put his body in a tote that she put next to his sister's body in the trunk.

The children belong to Johnson's sister Dachelle Johnson, who she said asked her to look after them in 2019. Dachelle Johnson told police that she had tried to get in contact with her sister since leaving them in her care, but never heard back from her sister. The Baltimore Sun noted that Dachelle Johnson hadn't been able to find her sister or her children until police notified her of their deaths.

Baltimore County Police have charged Johnson with neglect; failure to report the death of the children; disposal of their bodies and child abuse that resulted in the death of the two children. At the time of their death, the 7-year-old weighed 18 pounds and the 5-year-old weighed 21 pounds.

The police department noted that "due to the nature of this case, it will take time to determine the exact circumstances that led to the children’s deaths."

“This truly was a devastating incident – one that not only shocked our community to its core, but significantly affected our patrol officers, forensic technicians and detectives," Baltimore County Police Chief Melissa Hyatt said. "I am grateful that the harrowing details of this case were thoroughly and quickly uncovered, resulting in an expeditious closure to this tragedy. I want to commend all of our Baltimore County Police Department members who worked tirelessly throughout this investigation to bring justice to these innocent, young victims.”