What to Know
Emergency responders in Louisiana rushed to a Prairieville home on May 18, 2026, following a 911 call about a residential drowning. When they arrived, they found 3-year-old Ian Perez unresponsive. EMS attempted CPR and life-saving measures at the scene before a crew airlifted the little boy to a nearby hospital.
Sadly, he passed away a short time later. Police began to investigate what exactly happened that day at Joann Johnson’s home. The 37-year-old reportedly ran an in-home daycare, and surveillance video from the scene shocked police. Johnson now faces a homicide charge.
Ian and another child reportedly went to the pool area alone.
According to a release from the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, video footage from the home reportedly shows two young children playing near the pool without any safety wear. Johnson, who reportedly ran a daycare from her home, allegedly retrieved Ian from the water 20 minutes after he fell in.
Donovan Jackson with the sheriff’s office told WAFB that this is the type of tragedy that no one should ever face.
“No parent should have to deal with the loss of their child, especially when that loss is due to someone else’s negligence,” he said.
Jackson admitted that watching the footage devastated him.
He told WAFB the video footage is heartbreaking for multiple reasons.
“One of the hardest parts of watching that video is seeing little Ian struggle for his life for several minutes,” he said. “And the second hardest part of watching this is seeing him in that pool about 20 minutes after he had drowned. For over 20 minutes, there was no supervision.”
Jackson added that watching children can be difficult, but you must stay vigilant.
“We understand that accidents happen. You may lose sight of them for a minute or two, maybe five minutes, but for over 20 minutes, that is a problem, and that is clear negligence,” Jackson said.
Jackson pleaded with pool owners to always keep an eye out.
“If you’re going to have a pool and have children around that pool, especially children who are not yours, you better make sure you have every safety measure in place,” he said.
People could not believe Ian spent so much time in the water before Johnson noticed.
The sheriff’s office’s Facebook comment section was filled with disbelief.
“20 minutes. That’s INSANE. That poor baby, my heart goes out to the parents,” one person wrote.
“Accidents happen, but 20 minutes!? Prayers for the family during this devastating time,” another person agreed.
According to a GoFundMe, Ian’s mother is raising him alone.
“A single mother who lost her three-year-old child today—May 18, 2026—due to drowning in a swimming pool (Ian Perez) in Prairieville area is seeking assistance from the community to cover funeral expenses,” the fundraiser reads. “We ask for your prayers, and may God bless you.”
They’ve raised more than $22,000 thus far.
Johnson turned herself in to the police on June 3. She faces a negligent homicide charge. A judge set her bond at $100,000, and she paid $10,000 to be released. Per Louisiana Law, she could spend between two and 10 years in prison due to the victim’s age.
