The officer immediately felt an immense temperature change between the bedroom and the closet.(Image: Adam’s County Sheriff’s Office.)

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

Sintia Perez, 21, and Jace Hirschy, 23, were arrested after their 2-year-old daughter was found dead in a closet with a mattress and space heater that heated the room to 42.7C

11 Dec 2024, 05:14 by Zasha Whiteway-Wilkinson, Jeremiah Hassel · The Mirror

The parents of a toddler from Indiana 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, 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 2-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. Berne Police Department responded to Swiss Meadows Apartments just before 3.30pm on November 27, 2024, following calls about a death investigation. On arrival, officers found Perez and Hirschy along with their other two children, aged 5 and 3, in a home filled with trash, making it difficult to navigate, reports the Mirror US.

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 2 year old was sleeping.

Court documents also said they found cockroaches in the home as well as a pot on the stove that contained mould and several flies.( Image: Adam’s County Sheriff’s Office.)

A Berne couple appeared in court Wednesday on charges of neglect of a dependent after a two-year-old was found dead in a room with temperatures of up to 109 degrees.( Image: Adam’s County Sheriff’s Office.)

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 7 pm 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 3 pm, 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.