JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Juanita Coakley, 69, went before a Duval County judge Tuesday after being arrested for child neglect.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said she failed to call 911 when her granddaughter Sharmeka Jackson, 24, showed up at her house naked and bloody wanting to take her two children, who Coakley was baby-sitting.
“That's where the confusion is. She did not [call police] but she was on the phone with her nephew Charles and she thought that Charles was going to call the police and Charles thought that she was going to call the police,” said Reginald Estell Jr., Coakley’s attorney.
According to the Sheriff's Office, Coakley knew Jackson may be a threat to her kids and did not call police.
“Even by the time they could've called the police, the police were already there because the police knew she had escaped from the facility,” Estell said.
Jackson was committed to a mental institution under the Baker Act Monday after police said she broke into a vacant house with her two children. According to the police report, Jackson claimed she was God and was related to Michael Jackson. During the incident, a police officer said he heard her mumbling about not wanting to live and that she was going to harm her children.
Jackson was taken to the Mental Health Resource Center on West 20th Street Monday night, but police said she pulled the fire alarm and escaped.
Action News Jax spotted her patient gown on the ground near the building.
“Her daughter died March 4. It's been about two weeks since they funeralized her and because of that, that daughter's daughter, who is Sharmeka Jackson, is having some emotional problems,” said Estell.
The police report details a previous incident when Jackson allegedly took her kids to the river because she wanted them to see her mother but police arrived before it escalated.
Police said Coakley knew of that incident and didn’t call 911 Monday night.
Coakley’s attorney said two of her daughters recently died, including Jackson’s mother. He said she’s been caring for her other daughter’s son as well.
“She's raised her five children, she's raised grandchildren and now she's raising great-grandchildren and she shouldn't be in jail,” said Estell.
Other family members were present in court Tuesday. They were visibly upset and didn’t want to speak on camera.
“She's going through a lot and now to be placed in jail is quite unfortunate, but the family is tight. Many of them were here today and they will get her out of jail immediately and they will support her,” said Estell.
A judge set bail at $3,500 for Coakley and ordered that she have no contact with any of her grandchildren or great-grandchildren except for a 15-year-old grandson who lives with her. Jackson didn't appear in court because she's in the hospital but a judge ordered she have no contact with her kids either and set an $85,000 bail for her.
Jackson’s children were not harmed and are in the care of family friends.