Muncie Man Charged in 3-Month-Old's Death, Found & Arrested

Source: (PHOTO: WISH-TV)

MUNCIE, Ind. — A man from Muncie has been arrested and charged in the death of his three-month-old baby.

Jacob Vera, 24, is accused of leaving his three-month-old and sixteen-month-old babies alone in a room at the Bestway Inn on March 25th.

The mother of the children arrived to the hotel around 8 o’clock at night after work. She told Muncie Police that Vera usually watches the kids while she’s at work. She found the sixteen-month-old standing in it’s crib crying uncontrollably, and when she picked up the three-month-old, noticed it wasn’t moving.

Investigators say the three-month-old had been dead for two hours.

The probable cause affidavit says Vera wrapped the three-month-old in it’s swaddle, laid it in it’s swing, and then put a blanket on top of them. He gave the sixteen-month-old baby a bottle and put them in their crib and left.

Police say Vera tried to ask for a ride to Chicago but was denied. He then called a friend, who did give him a ride to Illinois. That friend went to police and told detectives everything.

Police called Vera, who apparently took the only phone that he and the kids’ mother share, and told police that he did leave the kids alone because he wanted to avoid “drama.”

He also told police “If I’m guilty of anything, it’s the leaving.”

Jacob Vera was arrested in Illinois and will be extradited back to Muncie, Indiana. He faces a charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in death.