An Indiana man has pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury in connection with the death of his 3-month-old daughter.
Jacob Vera is set to be sentenced on Dec. 1.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Muncie Police Department officers responded to the Bestway Inn in Muncie around 8:30 p.m. on March 25, 2023.
The girl’s mother, Jessica Brown, reported that she returned home from work and found one of her children standing in a mobile crib crying, while her other child, Isabella, was “swaddled in a blanket and rocking in a baby swing.”
Vera had been responsible for caring for both children while Brown was at work. Brown said that when she arrived home, Vera was not present.
She told officers she picked up Isabella and realized the infant wasn’t moving. The affidavit states, “Brown then noticed that [Isabella] was not breathing so she ran to a nearby room for someone to call for help, as Vera had apparently left with their only phone.”
Medical personnel who responded noted that “signs of rigor mortis were already present,” indicating Isabella had been dead for roughly two hours before first responders arrived. A coroner later determined the cause of death was asphyxiation.
One motel guest told police that Vera came to his room asking for a ride to Chicago, though the guest declined. The next day, another witness reported that Vera asked her for a ride to Illinois around 5:45 p.m. on March 25. She said she picked him up at approximately 6:40 p.m. and drove him to Illinois in exchange for gas money.
Vera, located in Peoria, spoke to investigators on March 28. According to the affidavit, “Vera stated that he did leave the children unattended and advised ‘if I’m guilty of anything it’s the leaving.’”
He told investigators he swaddled Isabella in a blanket and “then laid another blanket on top of her in the swing,” according to the affidavit.
“Vera stated that when he left, [Isabella] was asleep,” the affidavit reads. “Vera claimed he left the children unattended in order to travel to Illinois and to avoid any drama with Jessica Brown.”
