Police say a Muncie toddler was left with bloodied welts and a bright red handprint on the face before officers arrived at an eastside home and arrested the child’s parents on serious felony allegations.
Officers were called Tuesday to the 2700 block of E. Jackson Street, where they found the injured child and had the toddler taken to a hospital for evaluation. Investigators later identified the adults as 23-year-old Austin Anderson and 19-year-old Audrey Davis, and said both are now facing preliminary felony charges connected to the alleged abuse.
According to court documents cited by WOWO, a witness turned over an audio recording that reportedly captured Davis yelling at a 3-year-old and striking the child several times. The filings describe multiple red marks and welts on the toddler’s buttocks that were allegedly bleeding, and state that Anderson is accused of hitting the child after hearing the toddler cry. Prosecutors have listed preliminary counts of neglect of a dependent (Level 3), neglect of a dependent (Level 6) and battery (Level 6), and investigators told reporters both suspects admitted during interviews that they hit the child.
What the charges mean
Under Indiana law, neglect of a dependent is generally a Level 6 felony, but the charge can be elevated when the child suffers bodily or serious bodily injury. The statute spells out how those levels increase, along with the circumstances that can ramp up potential prison time, and it is frequently invoked in cases involving serious non-accidental injuries to children. The full language is available in Indiana Code.
Local context
Muncie authorities have not been shy about seeking tough outcomes in recent child abuse prosecutions. In a separate case, a Delaware County judge handed down a 35-year sentence to a 26-year-old mother after a 5-month-old was found with nearly 20 bone fractures. That conviction, reported by WRTV, followed evidence of abusive head trauma and multiple skeletal injuries.
What’s next
Investigators say the evidence in the case, including the audio recording, has been forwarded to the Delaware County prosecutor’s office, where formal charges will move through the court system. Both Anderson and Davis are presumed innocent unless and until they are convicted in court, and officials have not released any additional information about the toddler’s condition, according to WOWO.
