Grandmother charged with homicide, abuse of corpse in 3-year-old granddaughter’s death

A Western Pennsylvania woman has been charged in the horrific abuse and killing of her 3-year-old granddaughter, Pittsburgh police said.

Denise Johnson, 56, was arrested Monday and charged with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, aggravated assault, corruption of minors, and endangering the welfare of children in connection to the death of toddler Ayla Miller, court papers obtained by USA TODAY show.

According to the Pittsburgh Police Department, officers and paramedics responded to Johnson's home in a downtown apartment complex just after 11:30 a.m. Sunday for a report of a suspicious death involving a young female.

According to a criminal complaint, the child's uncle dialed 911 after finding the toddler unconscious, not breathing, and "obviously deceased."

Court documents identified the child as Ayla Miller and say paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

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Ayla Miller suffered multiple injuries including burn mark 'consistent with a cigarette burn'

The complaint, filed by a detective, said the child was found on a bloody mattress on the ground in the apartment's master bedroom, "cold to the touch" and covered in bruises, scratches, and other injuries to her face, chest, and hip.

She also had a wound on her right ankle and a burn mark on her left ankle, "consistent with a cigarette burn," the criminal complaint continues.

Ayla's mother told police her daughter had been in Johnson's custody for about a month and a half living in the dark, after having her electricity cut off. The baby's mother said Johnson had been attempting to find new housing and that she "had a Facetime call" with her child about a week earlier and saw no trauma to her baby's face.

Another relative told police she spoke with Johnson Sunday, who apologized and said "she punched" the baby in the face, and the toddler fell back and hit her head on a coffee table "really hard."

"Johnson then picked (the baby) up off the ground," the complaint continues and placed her into the bed for the next few days" before the child was found dead by a relative.

During an interview with detectives, court papers read, Johnson apologized and said "she beat her butt for not listening" before she fell into the table.

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Online court records show Johnson was being held without bond at the Alleghany County Jail on Wednesday.

Records did not list an attorney for Johnson, who is set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on the charges next week.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.