INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis mother, now charged with murder, and her live-in boyfriend have been arrested after police say a 5-year-old girl died this week due to neglect.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department announced Wednesday that Toni McClure and Ryan Smith had been arrested the day prior after officers found McClure’s 5-year-old child, Kinsleigh Welty, unresponsive at their home.
IMPD officers were called just before 5:15 p.m. Tuesday to the 6500 block of Denver Drive, a residential area on the city’s southwest side, on a report of an unresponsive child.
Upon arrival, officers reportedly found an unresponsive 5-year-old girl inside the house. The child, later identified by the Marion County Coroner’s Officer to be Kinsleigh Welty, “immediately appeared to be malnourished,” IMPD said.
Soon after, Wayne Township Emergency Medical Services drove Welty to Riley Hospital for Children where she was unfortunately pronounced deceased.
Child Abuse detectives came to the hospital and the home to start an investigation. Child Services also responded and took custody of other children found inside the home.
IMPD said that forensic teams are actively working to gather evidence from the scene. The Marion County Coroner’s Office will soon determine the exact manner and cause of death.
After consulting with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, IMPD arrested McClure, 29, and Smith, 27, and charged them with Child Neglect Resulting in Death. In addition to the neglect charge, McClure is also charged with felony murder.
No other information was immediately provided by IMPD regarding Welty’s death or the ensuing arrests. The department said mugshots of McClure and Smith will be released Thursday.
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