The image caption shows Anthony Yonko and Lisa Mitchell, who were held at the Oklahoma County Detention Center. The background image depicts the apartment complex where they were residing when their daughter passed away.
According to court records obtained by Law&Crime, Anthony Yonko and Lisa Mitchell were arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the tragic death of a young girl. The arrests were made on Friday and both individuals are currently in police custody.
The Midwest City Police Department’s Investigations Unit received a call from the county medical examiner’s office on August 2, 2024, at approximately 1:08 p.m. The call was in regards to a child taken to Saint Anthony’s Midwest Hospital’s emergency room. The victim was transported in a personal vehicle at around 11:28 a.m. Sadly, the child was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. This information was detailed in a probable cause affidavit.
According to the medical staff who attended to the child, they informed the police that the young one exhibited indications of rigor mortis and likely internal and external injuries.
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According to the police report, Yonko stated that he, along with Mitchell and their children, had been residing at the Vista Green apartments situated in the 7000 block of E. Reno Avenue, which is approximately seven miles away from Oklahoma City. However, the father’s account continued to fluctuate, as per law enforcement officials.
According to the affidavit, Yonko stated that he went to bed at approximately 9 p.m. on August 1st, while the victim and Mitchell slept on a small couch in the same room. He mentioned that he woke up around 9 a.m. the next day, and Mitchell informed him that the victim was unresponsive and in need of medical attention.
According to Yonko, he, Mitchell, and the victim were taken to the hospital by a “friend,” whose name and phone number he could not provide. Yonko also mentioned that they had been giving the victim crackers and soup as she possibly had the flu. However, they had not consulted a doctor since the victim was much younger.
After his arrest, Yonko was taken to the Midwest City Jail by the police. There, he was read his Miranda rights and reportedly agreed to have another conversation with the detectives.
According to the police affidavit, Anthony provided inconsistent statements during the interview regarding the individuals present in the apartment. Initially, he claimed that only he, Lisa, and the victim were present. However, he later mentioned the presence of Lisa’s sister, boyfriend, and a few other children when he woke up to Lisa informing him that the victim was unresponsive. Anthony also mentioned that Lisa was playing with the victim in the morning but then changed his statement, saying that the victim was not moving.
According to reports, when questioned about his daughter’s extremely thin condition, Yonko stated that just four or five days earlier, the victim weighed 50 pounds and was in good health. He claimed to have been feeding her regularly. However, he had no explanation for her drastic weight loss and unhealthy state at the time of her passing, weighing only 25 pounds.
According to Yonko, his brother was the one who brought him and his family to the hospital. Yonko also mentioned that his brother had been living with them at their residence.
According to police reports, the brother claimed that Yonko was in a state of panic on the morning of August 2nd, insisting that the victim had to be taken to the hospital immediately. The brother stated that he left the parents and the child at the hospital and drove off because he was frightened and needed to get to work.
