A plea agreement is now on the table in the case of Leon'ta Anderson, the Indianapolis father whose 2-year-old daughter died after a July 2025 shooting. Court filings set a combined change-of-plea and sentencing hearing for April 23, leaving a Marion Superior Court judge to decide whether to accept the deal. The agreement trims back the original charges and puts a firm end date in sight for the long-running case.
Plea deal details
According to WTHR, Anderson has agreed to plead guilty to a Level 3 felony count of neglect of a dependent. In return, prosecutors will dismiss a Level 1 felony count that had been tied to the child's death. The filing sets April 23, as the date for Anderson to formally change his plea and be sentenced in Marion Superior Court.
How investigators say the shooting happened
As reported by the Indianapolis Star, police say the 2-year-old was taken to Methodist Hospital on July 11, 2025 with a gunshot wound and later died. Detectives traced the shooting back to a home in the 2000 block of Ralston Avenue, where officers recovered multiple firearms. Investigators say evidence at the scene indicated that at least one weapon had been left within reach of the child.
Fleeing and arrest
Prosecutors issued a warrant in August 2025, and investigators say Anderson fled to Chicago. He was arrested on Aug. 28, 2025 in a multiagency operation that involved the U.S. Marshals Service and Chicago police, according to WIBC. Authorities then transferred him back to Indianapolis, where the case was taken up by the Marion County Prosecutor's Office.
What the plea means in legal terms
The WTHR report notes that the agreement limits Anderson's potential prison time. Under Indiana law, a Level 3 felony typically carries a sentencing range of three to 16 years in prison, with an advisory term of nine years, according to the Indiana Code. At a recent hearing, a family member told the court that Anderson "loves and provides for his children," according to filings cited by WTHR.
Next steps
Anderson is scheduled to appear in Marion Superior Court on April 23 at 9 a.m. If the judge signs off on the plea deal, the hearing will move straight into sentencing. The case has also renewed attention on safe-storage practices and questions about whether state law should change to better prevent children from getting access to firearms, a debate highlighted in local reporting.
