INDIANAPOLIS — Two people have been arrested for alleged neglect after a 3-year-old child was found in critical condition.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, on August 7, at approximately 5:50 p.m., officers responded to an incomplete 911 call reporting an unresponsive child in the 7400 block of Waterfront Drive.
Upon arrival, officers found the 3-year-old victim unresponsive. According to court documents, the child was soaking wet and covered in bruises. The child was quickly transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition by emergency medical services.
In response to this situation, IMPD Child Abuse detectives took over the investigation, supported by the IMPD Homicide Unit and the Department of Child Services, both of which arrived to conduct separate inquiries.
During the investigation, this child's father, 24-year-old Joshua Cajigas, and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Mellie Jackson, were interviewed.
Cajigas provided statements suggesting that he used a belt to discipline the child, stating that the injuries, including bruises and welts, were a result of disciplinary action.
A neighbor provided a statement indicating that she had witnessed multiple instances of domestic disputes between Cajigas and Jackson since moving into her apartment in October 2024.
She mentioned that video recorded by her Ring doorbell captured incidents of both verbal and physical altercations between the couple.
Jackson faces preliminary charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, while Cajigas is preliminarily charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in catastrophic injury, domestic battery causing serious bodily injury, and battery causing serious bodily injury.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will determine all final charges in this case.
If you suspect that a child may be experiencing abuse or neglect, you are urged to call the Indiana Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-800-5556. Your call could save a life.
