Cruel parents 'left toddler in closet with space heater at 43C until she died'

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The cruel parents of a toddler from the US have been accused of leaving their daughter in a closet with a space heater, causing temperatures to rise up to 109 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in her tragic death.

Sintia Perez, 21, and Jace Hirschy, 23, from Indiana were arrested on November 27 and charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a level one felony in Indiana, as well as two counts each of neglect of a dependent, a level six felony.

The couple allegedly left their young daughter in the closet with a space heater, which heated the room to between 85 and 109 degrees Fahrenheit, leading to the two-year-old girl's death from hyperthermia, confirmed by an autopsy.

The girl's body temperature was 109.4 degrees when measured at the scene, according to court documents obtained by WANE. Local emergency services raced to Swiss Meadows Apartments just before 3.30pm on November 27, 2024, following calls about a death investigation. On arrival, cops found Perez and Hirschy along with their other two children, aged five and three, in a home filled with trash, making it difficult to navigate, reports the Mirror.

Cockroaches were reportedly found in the home, along with a pot on the stove filled with mould and flies. Court documents reveal that an officer discovered a closet where the two-year-old was sleeping.

The officer immediately noticed a significant temperature difference between the bedroom and the closet. Upon entering, the officer found the toddler on a dirty mattress, wearing only a nappy, with her body discoloured.

Feces were also reportedly found in the room's corner. Perez allegedly told police she had put the toddler to bed around 7pm the previous night, turned on a space heater, and almost closed the door.

She didn't wake up until 12.30 pm the next day, and it was reported that neither parent checked on the child until after 3pm, when they found her dead. The other two children were taken into custody by the Department of Child Services, both reportedly infested with lice.

Perez and Hirschy are currently being held in Adams County Jail, with a pretrial conference scheduled for February 14 and their jury trial set for March 7, 2025.

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