On the night of December 13, 2023, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, parents Ladesha Powe (29) and Jose Roldan Jr. (40) consumed large quantities of alcohol and shared a marijuana joint while caring for their six-month-old daughter, Faith Hope Roldan. Roldan fell asleep on the couch after drinking nine or ten 25-ounce alcoholic beverages, and Powe, who described herself as "very, very wasted," fell asleep at his feet on the couch with the baby in her arms. During the night, Faith fell from her mother's arms and became wedged between the couch cushions behind Roldan. When Roldan adjusted his position, the baby became completely smothered; living room footage captured her kicking her feet and crying before becoming lifeless. Powe appeared to wake at some point, searched for the baby, but then went to the bedroom to sleep for the rest of the night. In the morning, Roldan discovered Faith not breathing and woke Powe, who called 911. EMS transported the infant to Bronson Methodist Hospital, where she died the next morning at 9:07 a.m. The medical examiner from Western Michigan University ruled the cause of death as mechanical asphyxia and the manner of death as homicide. Both parents were charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Both parents admitted to being heavily intoxicated while caring for their 6-month-old. The dayton247now article states Powe admitted she was "a lot far gone, wasted maybe, like very, very wasted" and Roldan had nine or ten 25-ounce cans of alcoholic beverage. Both fell asleep on the couch while the infant was in the mother's arms, constituting inappropriate supervision. Additionally, the blackenterprise article notes that Powe "appeared to wake up, search for the baby, and then went to her bedroom for the night," leaving the child unattended on the couch.
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Both documents describe the infant being placed in an unsafe sleeping environment. The dayton247now article states that the mother fell asleep "by Jose Roldan's feet on the couch with her daughter, Faith Hope Roldan, in her arms." The blackenterprise article further details: "Ladesha appears to fall asleep, and Faith falls out of her arms and lands behind Jose and wedges in between Jose and the back of the couch." An intoxicated adult co-sleeping with an infant on a couch is a textbook unsafe sleeping arrangement.
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Jose Roldan Jr. is identified as the child's father (both documents refer to them as "parents" and "their daughter"). The child's name is Faith Hope Roldan, sharing his surname. He was directly involved: the blackenterprise article states "Jose eventually readjusts himself and the baby becomes completely smothered, kicking (her) feet, crying, until Faith becomes lifeless." He was charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Ladesha Powe is identified as the child's mother. She fell asleep intoxicated on the couch with the baby in her arms, and the baby fell from her arms between the couch cushions. The dayton247now article states she "fell asleep by Jose Roldan's feet on the couch with her daughter, Faith Hope Roldan, in her arms." She was charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Both documents confirm that both parents were charged. The dayton247now article states: "Parents in Michigan were charged with involuntary manslaughter Wednesday" and "Both Powe and Jose Roldan were charged with second-degree child abuse." The blackenterprise article adds: "Ladesha Powe and Jose Roldan Jr. were arraigned on April 3 by Judge Richard Santoni in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The two stand accused of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Both documents explicitly state the parents admitted to substance use. The dayton247now article states: "Ladesha Powe, 29, Jose Roldan Jr., 40, admitted to drinking alcohol and sharing a marijuana joint the night of their daughter's death." The blackenterprise article adds that Roldan had "nine or 10 'tall boys' of Twisted Tea" and Powe drank "some of Rodan's beverages." Powe described herself as "a lot far gone, wasted maybe, like very, very wasted."
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the text. First, living room footage captured the entire sequence of events, providing direct evidence of the circumstances. Second, the blackenterprise article notes that after the baby fell between the cushions, "Powe appeared to wake up, search for the baby, and then went to her bedroom for the night" — suggesting she had an opportunity to discover the baby's dire situation but failed to do so. Third, the couple has three other children, and Judge Santoni imposed a condition that "The pair...will not be allowed to visit them without supervision from child protective services as a condition of their bail." Fourth, the judge specifically called Jose's actions "grossly negligent."
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