INDIANAPOLIS — Two people have been arrested for neglect after an Indianapolis 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 a 911 call reporting an unresponsive child in the 7400 block of Waterfront Drive.
The dispatch team managed to reconnect with the caller, who indicated that a child had fallen and was in dire condition.
Upon arrival, officers found a severely emaciated child, unresponsive 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.
As a result of their investigation, two individuals were arrested: 24-year-old Joshua Cajigas and 22-year-old Mellie Jackson.
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.
