A man left his three-month-old daughter unattended in a baby swing, resulting in her suffocation and death as he traveled over 200 miles away for a shocking reason.
Jacob Vera, 26, was responsible for caring for his two children while their mother, Jessica Brown, was at work. However, instead of attending to them, Vera left the children unattended. Upon Brown’s return, she found her 16-month-old child crying uncontrollably in a mobile crib and her infant daughter, Isabella, swaddled in a blanket and rocking in a baby swing.
When Brown attempted to pick up Isabella, she noticed the baby was unresponsive. In a desperate attempt to seek help, Brown discovered that Vera had left with their only phone, delaying assistance for the infant.
Authorities from the Muncie Police Department in Indiana responded to the incident at the Bestway Inn around 8:30 pm on March 25, 2023. Brown had entrusted Vera with the children’s care while she was at work, only to return to find one child distressed and Isabella unattended in the baby swing.
Vera admitted to police that he had left the children alone to travel to Illinois to avoid conflict with Brown. The tragic discovery of Isabella’s death was made by medical personnel, who noted signs of rigor mortis in the infant, indicating she had passed away approximately two hours before help arrived.
A subsequent coroner’s report confirmed that Isabella died from asphyxiation. Described as a delightful and loving baby in an obituary, Isabella’s untimely death left a void in the hearts of those who knew her.
Vera, who pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily harm, is set to be sentenced on December 1 and could face up to nine years in prison for his role in the death of his daughter.