Maintenance staff stumbled upon a four-year-old boy inside an apartment, initially thinking he was by himself until they made a heartbreaking discovery.
The identities of both the woman and the child have not been disclosed by the police. The investigation into the woman’s death is still ongoing.
A lucky turn of events led to maintenance workers being scheduled to visit the apartment. Without their intervention, it remains uncertain when the child might have been discovered.
The maintenance crew at The Summerwood on Towne Line Apartments, located on Indianapolis’ northwest side, found the child on December 11. They had entered the apartment on the 2600 block of Baneberry Lane to repair a window.
The incident came as a shock to the apartment complex’s management and surprised neighbors as well.
“I had just seen her a few days ago,” neighbor Tucker Neff remarked. “She was so sweet and nice with every interaction we had.”
Neighbors mentioned that they hadn’t noticed anything unusual or heard any sounds from the boy over the past two days.
Apartment staff confirmed that the woman had recently submitted a request to have a window issue fixed.
On the morning of December 11, the front office made attempts to reach the woman to grant the maintenance team access, but they were unsuccessful.
After several attempts to contact her, the workers were permitted to enter the apartment. Once inside, they noticed the four-year-old emerge from a room and initially thought he was left there unattended.
Upon further inspection, they discovered the woman deceased in her bedroom.
Emergency services were summoned in an attempt to revive the woman, but she was declared dead at the scene.
The boy was taken to Riley Hospital for Children for a check-up, and police have confirmed he is unharmed. However, the Department of Child Services will decide the child’s future.
