An Indiana couple was charged on Tuesday after the man’s 3-year-old daughter was hospitalized with injuries that are likely fatal.
On August 7, Indianapolis police responded to a call about an unresponsive child near North Girls School. The child, identified as Joshua Cajigas’ daughter, was discovered emaciated, bruised, and unresponsive, according to WTHR.
The toddler was also wet, which Cajigas, 24, explained was because he and his girlfriend, Mellie Jackson, 22, put her in the shower to awaken her. Cajigas allegedly claimed that his daughter experienced a seizure after picking up Jackson’s 1-year-old nephew and falling backward.
According to WTHR, Cajigas later informed investigators that he and Jackson would discipline his daughter by giving her “a whooping” and making her do wall squats and runs as punishment for being disrespectful or wetting the bed.
On the day of the incident, Jackson reportedly told Cajigas that his daughter was being “melodramatic” by pretending to be in shock. Jackson allegedly also said that his daughter could “manipulate emotions.”
Cajigas’ daughter remains hospitalized in critical condition — with doctors stating she has a “very high” risk of dying. WXIN reported that the toddler suffered a brain bleed and has the lowest coma score possible before being declared brain-dead.
The girl’s biological mother told WXIN that she last saw her daughter in May before losing custody. The mother claimed she warned the courts that her daughter was being abused, but she was still placed in Cajigas’ care.
“I tried to tell them this is what I saw and what I’m noticing and they kept ignoring me,” she said. “I’m just here fighting for her, but she’s fighting for her life.”
According to WXIN, Cajigas and Jackson also claimed the girl’s injuries occurred when a dresser fell on her. Though the couple claimed they only beat her with a belt on her buttocks and legs, investigators documented injuries all over her body, including on the face.
“They could have protected her, and they didn’t,” the girl’s mother told WXIN. “Instead, they tormented her.”
Jackson was charged with neglect resulting in serious injury, while Cajigas was charged with neglect resulting in catastrophic injury and battery.
It is unclear whether the charges will be upgraded if Cajigas’ daughter dies from her injuries.
[Feature Photo: Facebook]
