Indiana prosecutors said on Wednesday that they have charged a woman in Monday’s death of her 9-month-old daughter.
Ana Perez-Hernandez was reportedly hospitalized on December 7 for various head injuries — including brain swelling, brain bleeding, and a parenchymal brain injury. The infant’s mother, Marleni-Hernandez, 36, claimed she was gone for 30 minutes after she heard crying and discovered her daughter stuck between the bed’s floorboard and mattress, according to WTTK.
Marleni-Hernandez allegedly admitted to shaking Perez-Hernandez for 10 minutes after realizing she was having a seizure. According to the Indianapolis Star, Marleni-Hernandez also insinuated that her husband’s hard braking during a drive might have caused the baby’s injuries. However, medical professionals concluded her stories were not consistent with her baby’s injuries.
Perez-Hernandez died four days later. WTTK reported that the infant also suffered edema in her neck ligaments and retinal hemorrhaging.
Eventually, Marleni-Hernandez allegedly showed on a doll how she shook her daughter upwards and downwards. She also demonstrated how she nearly turned the infant upside down before forcefully shaking her for almost three minutes, according to WTTK.
Marleni-Hernandez reportedly called her husband after inflicting the fatal injuries and told him their daughter was dying. She then went to a neighbor’s house for help.
According to the Indianapolis Star, Marleni-Hernandez’s husband said their daughter had not suffered any falls or accidents before the deadly incident. He also claimed his daughter appeared normal that morning when he left for work.
Neighbors reportedly told police that Marleni-Hernandez previously lost a 6-month-old baby.
Marleni-Hernandez is charged with neglect of a dependent causing death and aggravated battery. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for March.
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[Featured image: Ana Perez-Hernandez/Indianapolis Police Department]
