by Muncie, Indiana – A 26-year-old Indiana man has pleaded guilty after abandoning his two young children in a motel room — one of whom, a 3-month-old baby girl, was later found dead in her swing.
Indiana Father Pleads Guilty After Infant’s Death
According to court documents, Jacob Vera entered a guilty plea to neglect of a dependent, a Level 3 felony, as part of a plea agreement. Prosecutors had initially charged him with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Level 1 felony, which carries a significantly harsher penalty.
The case stems from a March 25, 2023 incident at the Bestway Inn on North Broadway in Muncie, where officers responded to a cardiac arrest call shortly after 8:30 p.m.
When police arrived, they found baby Isabella Vera unresponsive in a baby swing. Emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene.
Mother Found Baby Dead After Returning From Work
According to the probable cause affidavit, Isabella’s mother told investigators she had left for work around 2 p.m., leaving the infant and her 16-month-old sibling in Vera’s care. When she returned over six hours later, she found the older child crying uncontrollably and Vera missing.
The mother found baby Isabella swaddled in a blanket and still in the swing, but she “wasn’t moving as she normally would when picked up,” the report said.
Medical personnel determined rigor mortis had already set in, suggesting Isabella had been dead for at least two hours before authorities arrived.
Father Fled to Avoid “Drama”
Investigators learned that after leaving the motel, Vera approached another resident and offered him $130 for a ride to Chicago. When the man refused, Vera arranged for a friend to drive him to Peoria, Illinois, roughly 250 miles away.
Police later tracked him down, and when questioned about his actions, Vera reportedly said,
“If I’m guilty of anything, it’s the leaving.”
He allegedly told officers he fled because he wanted to “avoid any drama” with the children’s mother.
Medical Examiner’s Findings and Sentencing
An autopsy determined baby Isabella died of asphyxiation, according to the medical examiner’s report.
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Under the plea agreement, Vera faces nine years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, according to WTHR.
Remembering Isabella
In her obituary, Isabella was remembered as a “beautiful little girl with an infectious smile and beautiful eyes” who “left our world way too early.”
“Bella was an incredibly happy baby, with a heart-warming personality all to her own,” the obituary read. “She was safe and loving in her mother’s arms, always with her pacifier and a stuffed animal not far away.”
The tragedy has drawn widespread grief — and renewed conversations about parental neglect and child safety in Indiana.
How do you think states should strengthen laws to protect vulnerable children? Share your thoughts in the comments on mikeandjonpodcast.com.
