Two Indiana parents are in custody after allegedly leaving their 2-year-old daughter in a closet overnight with a space heater turned to its maximum setting. The child was found dead with an internal body temperature as high as 109.4 degrees, according to local reports from WANE.
The parents, 21-year-old Sintia Perez and 23-year-old Jace Hirschy, each face multiple felony charges, including neglect of a dependent resulting in death and two additional felony counts for neglect of a dependent.
Berne Police officers discovered the child on November 27 in what they described as extremely disturbing conditions. According to reports, the room where the child was found was “disarrayed” and filled with trash, soiled diapers, and feces. The toddler’s body was located lying on a “very soiled mattress” inside her crib.
Authorities noted a noticeable temperature difference between the main bedroom and the closet where the girl had been left overnight. A probable cause affidavit cited by WPTA detailed the police’s immediate reaction to the intense heat in the enclosed space.
Perez allegedly told officers that she and Hirschy placed the toddler in her crib around 7 p.m. the previous evening. They left the space heater running at its highest setting and failed to check on her until approximately 3 p.m. the next day—nearly 20 hours later.
An autopsy later confirmed that the toddler’s cause of death was hyperthermia or severe overheating. Following the investigation, the Indiana Department of Child Services took custody of the couple’s two other children, ages 3 and 5, after determining the living conditions were “extremely unhealthy” for any child.
Perez and Hirschy appeared in court last week and remain in custody at the Adams County Jail as the case proceeds. The tragic incident has shocked the local community, raising further concerns about child neglect and unsafe living environments. The case continues to unfold as authorities investigate the full circumstances leading to the child’s death.