An Indiana mother is facing charges after she alllegedly fed her two children, ages 2 and 4, once a day before leaving them alone at home.
Now, her 2-year-old daughter, Skylar Gardner, is dead,
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police, Chantell Gardner, 33, has been charged with child neglect causing death. A probable cause affidavit outlined the details of Skylar’s death.
The affidavit stated that Gardner called 911 around 6:30 p.m. after finding her daughter unresponsive and “cold to the touch” beneath a bedroom dresser.
WISH-TV reports that the incident happened in the 6300 block of Newberry Road.
Gardner told investigators that she was preparing dinner and called for her two children to join her, but Skylar Gardner did not respond.
After searching the home, Gardner found her daughter unresponsive and “cold to the touch” beneath a dresser. She reportedly picked up her son, ran outside, and called 911. Gardner also reached out to her boyfriend, Brian Thomas, asking him to come to the apartment.
Police searched the residence and noted trash strewn across the floor, human feces, steak knives, and soiled items.
The Indianapolis Star reports that officers and medical personnel noted bruising and injuries on the girl’s face, arms, legs, back, and genital area during a physical examination, as detailed in court records.
The Riley Children’s Health Child Protection team later found a large puncture wound on the girl’s neck.
Detectives interviewed the mother’s boyfriend, who indicated that Gardner stayed at his home every night. He added that while the children usually did not live with her, they visited at least once a week.
Detectives then interviewed the mother, who indicated in court documents that she often left her children alone for several hours each day. She stated that she would check on them once a day to bring food and drinks.
She noted that she had not bathed her daughter in about a week and a half to two weeks.
Gardner informed detectives that when she checked on her children, she observed feces on their hands and feet. She also stated that her daughter’s genital area was red and swollen, attributing this to infrequent diaper changes.
Gardner denied any allegations of sexually assaulting or physically harming her children.
She was subsequently booked into the Marion County jail, and scheduled to appear in court for a hearing Tuesday morning.
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[Feature Photo: Facebook]
