Indiana – An Indiana woman and her spouse were arrested and booked into the county Jail after police say a 7-year-old chiId was hospitaIized with Iife-threatening injuries. The 33-year-old woman, Jenifer, was charged with negIect of a dependent resuIting in catastrophic injury, negIect of a dependent resulting in serious injury, aggravated battery, domestic battery with serious bodiIy injury to a person under 14 and domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon. The 28-year-old dad, Rian, was charged with negIect of a dependent resulting in catastrophic injury.
Police were called to the family’s home in Indiana after emergency responders were dispatched when the child suffered a seizure. Emergency personnel reported the victim was unresponsive and had visible bruising when they arrived, and she was taken to a hospital for treatment. Those initial observations and the call for service prompted a criminal investigation by local law enforcement.
According to court records and interviews summarized by investigators, officers began gathering statements from family members and reviewing the child’s medical condition. Investigators documented multiple injuries and said evidence suggested the child had been subject to repeated mistreatment rather than a single accidental event. The child’s condition and the medical findings led prosecutors to pursue felony charges that can carry lengthy prison terms if the defendants are convicted.
During interviews with police, both adults made statements that are included in court documents. The woman told officers the child had pushed her step-sibIing and that, in the course of disciplining the child, the family pet bit the chiId, causing her to scream and fall to the floor where she began seizing. Court records say the woman also admitted to striking the child with open and closed hands and said the child was confined to her bedroom for long portions of the day.
The child’s dad told investigators he saw the child’s injuries at times and chose not to intervene, according to filings. Court records also describe conflicting accounts between the two adults, with each at times attempting to shift blame to the other. Prosecutors reported that both admitted to physical actions such as hitting, pushing and choking during separate interviews, and those admissions are part of the evidence referenced in charging documents.
During their interviews with investigators, the child’s stepmther admitted she had “lost it,” saying she could not tell right from wrong anymore and that she saw rage when the child spoke to her. She acknowledged hitting the girl with her hands and fists and said she used a hammer on the child’s hands and feet. She also told detectives she had beaten the girl two days earlier and described the child as difficult to deal with.
The woman further stated that she went too far and should have had more self-control and also alleged that the victim’s dad hated the child and wanted her dead..The child’s dad told investigators he saw his child’s injuries and chose not to intervene because he feared losing his other children. He was also accused by his spouse of choking the girl and throwing her against a wall, though he maintained his main role was failing to act despite knowing the extent of the abuse.
Indiana authorities said the investigation included collecting statements, documenting injuries, and coordinating with medical personnel and child protection professionals. Police obtained written reports and court affidavits that outlined witness statements and medical findings; those documents were submitted to the county prosecutor, who filed the formal charges. The county has scheduled initial court appearances for the Revises as part of the pretrial process.