Months later, a Pennsylvania woman has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for her infant daughter's drowning death, after investigators allege she drank too much and fell asleep while watching the girl. In addition to involuntary manslaughter, Sadie Marie Ressler is facing two counts of endangering the welfare of children, according to a criminal complaint viewed by Us Weekly. The Pennsylvania State Police responded to Ressler's Lykens home around 7:30 p.m. on August 14 after her neighbor called 911. Troopers arrived at the home, where they found Ressler's 10-month-old daughter, Jovanna Allen, unresponsive. While talking to investigators after being read her rights, Ressler, 32, said she was the sole caregiver for Jovanna and another 2-year-old child at the time of the incident. She said she placed both children in the bathtub, which was filled with several inches of water. In the criminal complaint, cops wrote that Jovanna was "underdeveloped" and was not capable of "self-rescue while in water." At the time of the incident, Ressler said she was seated against a sink and was "scrolling" on her phone as the kids were in the bathtub. Ressler claimed she was unable to see the back part of the bathtub, though she eventually saw that Jovanna was "floating face down" in the water once she looked in the tub. Maryland Mother Arrested After Her Baby Died While She Was Drunk on Snapchat Ressler told authorities that she picked the baby up and out of the tub. When cops asked her what happened next, she said she didn't "even know" and claimed she couldn't remember. Jovanna Allen Dimon Funeral Home She denied being under the influence of any alcohol or drugs at the time of the incident, according to the affidavit. However, cops allegedly found an open bottle of Crown Royal Apple and burnt marijuana cigarettes in an ashtray next to a playpen when the home was searched. Additionally, troopers said that the home was "cluttered and unkempt" with several uninflated balloons that were scattered on the first floor of the home. The cops noted that the items could have potentially been a choking hazard for the young kids. Ressler was taken to the hospital four hours after the 911 call was made, and her blood alcohol content was measured at 0.035. However, authorities said in the complaint that her blood alcohol content was "significantly higher" when she put the kids in the bathtub. Additionally, detectives claim to have discovered that Ressler made two suspicious Google searches when she was at the hospital. "Can you tell how much alcohol I drank from a blood test?" one search read, while another asked, "How long does alcohol stay in the blood?" Ressler participated in a second interview with detectives in October, where she admitted she "fell asleep" while sitting on the floor as the kids were in the bathtub. 90 Day Fiance's Eric Rosenbrook Cited for OWI Days After Baby's Death "The defendant admitted to conduct that is negligent and reckless, placing the victims in the circumstance that ultimately caused one death and endangered the other in the same manner," authorities concluded in the complaint. Ressler is next scheduled to appear in court on January 7, 2026. According to Jovanna's obituary, she "brought immense pride and joy to her family" and was "the perfect little girl." "Being born premature, Jovanna overcame many obstacles and was thriving, just beginning to learn to crawl," the obituary continued. "Her beautiful blue eyes could light up any room. She loved her time with her teachers at All About Kids Daycare, Millersburg."
Us Weekly
Critical 10-Month-Old Girl Drowned in Bathtub After Mom Passed Out While Drinking
December 16, 2025
16 hours ago
2 celebrities mentioned
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