Ivery Holmes was just one year old when Metro Nashville police said they found her unconscious on March 7 at a home on Herman Street.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Months after a baby reportedly died of an overdose at a Nashville hospital, the child’s aunt has been arrested in a city close to 500 miles away.
Ivery Holmes was just one year old when the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) said officers found her unconscious at a home on Herman Street in March 2023.
Holmes was taken to a local hospital to be treated. However, days later, officials said she was taken off life support.
Further investigation by Youth Services detectives with MNPD reportedly revealed Holmes had been exposed to fentanyl while in the care of her aunt, 46-year-old Tawona Pickens-Johnson.
As a result, Pickens-Johnson was indicted on one count of criminally negligent homicide and two counts of aggravated child neglect. However, efforts to locate her were initially unsuccessful.
Police said coordination between the Youth Services Division and the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force eventually led them to Tallahassee, Florida, where Pickens-Johnson was recently taken into custody.
She is expected to be returned to Nashville soon, officials said.