A Berne couple, Sintia Perez, 21, and Jace Hirschy, 23, have been charged with neglect after the tragic death of their two-year-old daughter. The child was found in a closet at their Indiana home, where a space heater had raised the temperature to dangerous levels, resulting in her death from hyperthermia.
The couple was arrested on November 27, 2024, and are facing serious charges, including neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a level one felony, as well as two additional counts of neglect, each a level six felony. The incident occurred at Swiss Meadows Apartments, where officers found their home in deplorable conditions, filled with rubbish and infested with cockroaches.
According to the police investigation, Perez admitted to putting her daughter to bed the night before, leaving her in the closet with a space heater and nearly closing the door. The child’s body temperature was later measured at 109.4°F (43°C). Despite not checking on the child until the afternoon, Perez and Hirschy found their daughter dead in the closet.
In addition to the tragic loss of their daughter, the couple’s other two children, ages 5 and 3, were found to be living in unhealthy conditions and have since been taken into the care of the Department of Child Services.
Perez and Hirschy are currently in custody at Adams County Jail. A pretrial conference is set for February 14, 2025, and their jury trial will begin on March 7, 2025.
