Parents arrested after their two-year-old was left in closet overnight with a space heater and died
Two parents from Indiana are now in custody after reportedly leaving their 2-year-old daughter in a closet overnight with a space heater set to maximum.
On November 27, Berne Police discovered the toddler deceased, with her internal body temperature reaching a staggering 109.4 degrees.
The parents, Sintia Perez, 21, and Jace Hirschy, 23, face felony charges for neglect resulting in the child’s death, along with two additional felony counts for neglecting a dependent, as reported by WANE.
Following the incident, the Indiana Department of Child Services took custody of the couple’s two other children, aged 3 and 5, after determining that the living conditions were “extremely unhealthy” for them, according to WLBT.
A police officer who arrived at the scene described the room where the deceased child was found as being in “disarray,” filled with trash, soiled diapers, and feces, WLBT reported.
The young girl was discovered lying on a “very soiled mattress” in her crib, according to police statements, as reported by WLBT.
According to a probable cause affidavit cited by WPTA, officers noted a significant temperature difference between the main bedroom and the closet where the child had allegedly been left overnight.
The mother, Perez, reportedly told authorities that they placed the toddler in her crib around 7 p.m. the previous evening with the space heater turned to its highest setting and did not check on her until approximately 3 p.m. the following day, as per the affidavit.
An autopsy revealed that the young girl died from hyperthermia, or overheating, according to WPTA.