Baby 'Smothered' to Death Between Couch Cushions and Her Dad, Who Drank '10 Tall Boys' And Fell Asleep: Prosecutors

Jose Antonio Roldan Jr., 40, and Ladesha Powe, 29, were both arraigned last week, after their daughter, Faith Hope Roldan, died on December 13, 2023. The child died by mechanical asphyxia, after she allegedly became wedged between couch cushions while her parents were passed out drunk.

According to the probable cause affidavit, via MLive, Roldan told police he had around 10 tall boy cans of beer, after he and Powe began drinking around 6pm. He allegedly said the pair also smoked a joint together, reportedly admitting they were both intoxicated. Powe, meanwhile, said she also had a number of tall boys -- five of Twisted Tea -- with Roldan, as well as some of his beers, telling authorities she drank with him in an effort to forget her frustrations over him watching pornography.

"Ladesha advised she does not remember much of the night because she was 'A lot far gone, wasted maybe, like very, very wasted,'" read the docs, which claim the last thing the mother remembers before waking up was making the baby a bottle and holding her in her arms.

What happened next was caught on "horrific" footage by a camera setup in the family's living room, said Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting while describing the video.

The footage allegedly shows them both drinking, before Roldan -- who the docs state weighs 300 pounds -- falls asleep on the living room couch with Powe by his feet, with the girl in her arms.

"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," said court docs. "Jose eventually readjusts himself and the baby becomes completely smothered, kicking (her) feet, crying, until Faith becomes lifeless."

At one point, Powe woke up and apparently appeared to look for the girl, before going to the bedroom to sleep.

"Jose said that when he woke up, he found Faith wedged between the seat and back cushions; when he tried to wake her up, he discovered that she was not breathing," said the doc, which states Roldan then woke up Powe, who called 911.

"It's heartbreaking. It's something that was completely unnecessary. It should have never happened," said Getting. "They both were in a position where they were responsible for caring for this young child. They failed in that regard in a grossly negligent way."

Of the video, he added, "I've seen it and it's not something that anyone should have to watch."

Roldan and Powe are being held on $100,000 bond; they're due back in court at the end of the month for preliminary hearings in their cases.