BERNE, IND. — Two parents have been arrested and charged with neglect after their 2-year-old daughter was found dead from hyperthermia in a closet warmed by a space heater late last month, according to the Berne Police Department.
Sintia Perez, 21, and Jace Hirschy, 23, face one count of neglect resulting in death and two counts of neglect of a dependent following the tragic incident, which occurred between the night of November 26 and the afternoon of November 27.
Police were called to the Swiss Meadows apartment complex in Berne, about 35 miles south of Fort Wayne, on the afternoon of November 27. Inside the residence, officers described a state of disrepair, with garbage filling the home, cockroaches present, and filthy bedding throughout. The child’s crib mattress was described as “very soiled,” and police noted feces in a corner of the closet where the child was found.
Investigators said they felt a significant heat difference upon entering the closet compared to the main bedroom, and recorded temperatures ranging from 84 to 109 degrees inside the apartment. The girl’s body temperature reached 109.4 degrees, with an autopsy confirming hyperthermia as the cause of death.
Perez and Hirschy remain in custody as the investigation continues.