DCF to make changes after man with troubled past tosses daughter, 5, from bridge

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida's Department of Children and Families is changing its abuse hotline criteria after a man threw his 5-year-old daughter off a St. Petersburg bridge into Tampa Bay Thursday morning.

DCF Secretary Mike Carroll announced the changes later that day.

John Jonchuck was arrested and taken to the Pinellas County Jail after police said he killed his 5-year-old daughter, Phoebe.

During his arraignment, Jonchuck asked for divine intervention.

"I don't want a court-appointed lawyer. I want to leave it in the hands of God," Jonchuck said.

Raw Video: Father arrested, taken to jail

Photos: Victim Phoebe Jonchuck  |  Father's arrest, scene pics

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Hillsboro County deputies said they did a well-being check Wednesday on Jonchuck, who was with his priest, after he was making similar religious statements.

His attorney feared Jonchuck may harm his daughter and frantically called 911 Wednesday morning, saying, "He's out of his mind and he has a minor child with him, driving to a church now, and I should have kept the child."

Fernandez said rescuers attempted to resuscitate Phoebe . She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead early Thursday morning.

"We have no idea why anybody would do something like this," said Yolanda Fernandez  of the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Phoebe's mother, Michelle Kerr, said she last saw her daughter on Christmas Eve. Kerr said authorities alerted her early Thursday morning to inform her of Phoebe's death.

"She was my little angel baby. She always was. Now she really is, you know," said Kerr.

A St. Petersburg police officer who was heading home just after midnight tried to stop Jonchuck's PT Cruiser, which passed him going about 100 mph, authorities said. The officer said the car stopped on the approach to the Sunshine Skyway and he saw a man get out and throw the girl over the rail. The officer said the man then got back into his car and drove south.

"He put the child's face toward his chest, then he walked toward the side of the bridge and he threw the child into the water," Chief Anthony Holloway of the St. Petersburg Police Department said. "Just think about that. We always say there's no such thing as a routine traffic stop, and the officer didn't even make a traffic stop. When he got to the top of the bridge, the guy had already stopped, waiting for the officer to get there. He was waiting."

Jonchuk, was stopped by Manatee County Sheriff's deputies about 30 minutes later.

Jonchuck has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated fleeing and eluding and aggravated assault with a motor vehicle on a law enforcement officer, police said. He will be arraigned Thursday afternoon.

"[I've] been doing this job 29 years and I don't even know what was going through this guy's mind," Holloway said. "He may have some mental issues, but he didn't even really want to talk. We're still searching the car, so I don't think there's any drugs involved."

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said it has two closed child protection cases forwarded to the Department of Children and Families on the Jonchuck family, and one is currently open.

The cases involved Jonchuck, Kerr and their children. It is not known how many other children they have.

DCF said it is in the process of gathering the closed case files.

"We know about a report that last month there was an issue of domestic violence that he filed. He filed the domestic violence report against the mother of the child. But that injunction wasn't granted," said Holloway.

Deputies questioned Jonchuck at a church while he was there seeking spiritual guidance.

Under the new protocol, if a caregiver is believed to be experiencing a psychotic episode, a child protective investigator would have to visit the child within four hours of a call.

DCF officials said late Thursday that the agency received a call to the abuse hotline at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday "regarding the mental health of Phoebe's father."

The anonymous caller said Jonchuck was "depressed and delusional."

Despite his repeated arrest history, Jonchuck had primary custody.

Friends of the family said he wanted to keep Phoebe from her mother.

Past police records indicate Jonchuck had been hospitalized under the Baker Act and had been prescribed a drug to treat bipolar disorder.

Kerr said her daughter loved her father.

Jonchuck is scheduled to appear in court Monday.

Jonchuck's criminal history:

• On May 23, 2010, he was arrested on battery and domestic violence charges.  Jonchuck allegedly battered the victim, Michelle Kerr.

• On May 26, 2013, he was charged with battery. Jonchuck was arrested for battering Kerr during an argument that escalated to a physical confrontation.

• Oct. 25, 2013, he was charged with forgery. Jonchuck was accused of forging Kerr's, checks.  She ultimately signed a waiver not to prosecute.

• Nov. 6, 2013, he was charged with battery. Jonchuck was accused of battering his mother, Michele Jonchuck, during the course of an argument.

• On April 23, 2014, he was charged with battery. Jonchuck and a male acquaintance got into a physical altercation.  Both parties refused to press charges.

WFTV