INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis mother was arrested and accused of violently shaking her 9-month-old baby, causing injuries that led to the child’s death.
Ingris Marleni-Hernandez, 36, was arrested for Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death, a Level 1 Felony; and Aggravated Battery, a Level 1 Felony.
According to court documents, detectives from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department responded to Riley Children’s Hospital for a near-fatality of a child on Wednesday, Dec. 6. The investigation into the family began on Thursday, Dec. 7.
The child’s mother, Ingris, told detectives multiple versions of events. The most prominent story she told investigators was that she woke up to make coffee on Dec. 6 in her home at the 5900 block of Bertha Street. Ingris initially claimed that she was gone for approximately 30 minutes when she began to hear crying. The mother reported that she returned to the room to find her baby, Ana Perez-Hernandez, smashed between the footboard of the bed and the mattress.
She further continued that she picked her up and stated that Ana was having a seizure and began to turn yellow and shake. Ingris stated that she continued to shake her for about 10 minutes. However, the medical professionals determined that “this is not a sufficient cause or mechanism to explain Ana’s injuries.”
Ana’s injuries included suffering from bilateral subdural hematomas (brain bleeding), a parenchymal brain injury, cerebral edema (brain swelling), probable edema (swelling) in the ligaments of the neck, and significant retinal hemorrhages.
After Ingris learned that her story was insufficient to cause these injuries, Ingris admitted to detectives that she lied. Ingris went on to tell doctors three additional explanations as to what happened. However, only the last explanation was considered plausible by medical professionals.
In the last explanation, Ingris used a doll to act out what she believed happened. Ingris demonstrated this by shaking the baby doll upwards and downwards. She explained that she “jostled” her baby while cradling her for around one minute. Ingris then took the doll, held her nearly upside down, and shook her forcefully for the next three minutes, according to court documents.
Ingris claimed that she shook Ana to try to save her life.
The doctor then stated that “violently shaking a baby would be a potential mechanism to explain Ana’s injuries; however, the shaking would need to have been exceptionally violent and forceful and not at all like a mere jostling.”
Ingris later called her husband to tell him that the baby was dying. She then took Ana to her neighbor’s house for help.
Detectives then spoke with neighbors, where they learned that Ingrid had previously lost a six-month-old baby.
The Child Protection Team believed that Ana experienced abusive head trauma. Ana died from her injuries on Monday, Dec. 11.
Police are actively investigating. FOX59 will update information as it becomes available.
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