Kalamazoo, Michigan – A couple from Kalamazoo, Michigan, is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter after their 6-month-old daughter tragically died while she was wedged in a couch. Jose Antonio Roldan Jr., 40, and Ladesha Ann Powe, 29, appeared in court via Zoom on Wednesday. They are also charged with second-degree child abuse. The couple had reportedly consumed alcohol and marijuana while taking care of their daughter Faith Hope Roldan in December 2023, according to court documents.
The authorities were alerted to the incident on December 13, 2023, when they received a call about an unresponsive baby at the couple’s residence on Davis Street. Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered that Jose Antonio Roldan Jr. had fallen asleep on the living room couch with the infant beside him. When he woke up, he found his daughter trapped between the seat and the back cushion, and she was not breathing.
Tragically, despite their efforts, first responders were unable to revive the baby, who was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. The investigation revealed that Jose Antonio Roldan Jr. consumed approximately nine or ten 25-ounce cans of alcoholic beverages, while Ladesha Ann Powe had five alcoholic beverages. Both individuals also admitted to smoking marijuana on that fateful night.
Footage from video cameras inside the couple’s home captured them drinking in the living room the previous evening. The footage shows Roldan lying down on the couch, with Powe sitting at the end, holding the baby. At one point, Powe falls asleep, causing the baby to fall out of her arms and become wedged between her father and the couch cushion. Powe later woke up, searched for the baby, and then retreated to the bedroom for the remainder of the night.
The medical examiner determined that the infant’s cause of death was mechanical asphyxia, ruling the manner of death as a homicide. Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting expressed his sadness and described the incident as entirely avoidable, emphasizing the couple’s responsibility for caring for their child.
Jose Antonio Roldan Jr. and Ladesha Ann Powe are currently being held on $100,000 bonds. It is unclear whether they have entered pleas or obtained legal representation.