Delran Woman Sentenced After Drinking Too Much, Smothering Child

DELRAN, NJ - A Delran woman who killed her 4-year-old child when she rolled over on top of him after drinking too much has been sentenced to four years in prison, authorities announced.

Melissa Johnson, 39, pleaded guilty to second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced.

Paramedics responded to her home on Feb. 18, 2015, for a report of an unresponsive child, according to Coffina. A relative found Johnson asleep on the couch with her 3-month-old son partially wedged underneath her.

Investigators discovered Johnson had been drinking alcohol for several hours before her relative came to her house and discovered that she had rolled on top of the child.

Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood concluded that the infant died as a result of being accidentally asphyxiated.

“This is a heartbreaking and tragic occurrence for everybody involved,” Coffina said. “But justice demands accountability for such actions, and in this case that includes a sentence involving incarceration.”

The investigation was conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office and the Delran Police Department.