Background: Bestway Inn Motel in Muncie, Indiana (WTHR). Insets, from left: Jacob Vera (WTHR) and Isabella Vera (Parson Mortuary).
A tragic situation has unfolded involving a young father from Indiana, who now faces the prospect of spending nearly ten years in prison after a devastating incident led to the death of his infant daughter. The 26-year-old, Jacob Vera, has admitted to charges of neglecting a dependent, a serious felony offense.
Originally, Vera was charged with neglect of a dependent causing death, a more severe level 1 felony. However, court documents reveal he has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, which still carries significant consequences.
The harrowing details came to light after authorities were dispatched to the Bestway Inn located at 4000 N. Broadway in Muncie around 8:30 p.m. on March 25, 2023. Responding to a cardiac arrest call, officers arrived to a heartbreaking scene. They found Isabella Vera, just a 3-month-old infant, lifeless in her baby swing. Emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene.
According to Isabella’s mother, she left the infant and her 16-month-old sibling under Vera’s care earlier that afternoon to attend her job. Upon returning home over six hours later, she was met with a distressing sight. Her older child was “crying uncontrollably” in a pack-and-play, while Vera was nowhere to be found.
In a state of panic, the mother noticed Isabella swaddled in a blanket, sitting unresponsive in the swing, a stark contrast to how the baby would usually react when picked up. The affidavit notes the mother’s frantic search for help, as Vera departed, taking the family’s phone with him.
This deeply unsettling case has rocked the local community, leaving many grappling with the profound loss and the troubling events that led to it. As the legal proceedings continue, the focus remains on justice for young Isabella and her devastated family.
Medical personnel determined that rigor mortis had already set in and believed Isabella had been dead for at least two hours.
Detectives spoke with another resident of the motel and he said Vera came to him and offered him $130 for a ride to Chicago. The man declined. Vera had a friend drive him to Peoria, Illinois, more than 250 miles away. Cops caught up with him and asked him why he left.
“If I’m guilty of anything, it’s the leaving,” Vera allegedly said.
Vera said he left because he wanted to “avoid any drama” with the kids’ mom.
The medical examiner reportedly determined Isabella died of asphyxiation.
As part of the plea deal, Vera faces nine years behind bars, WTHR reported. He’s slated to be sentenced on Dec. 1.
Isabella’s obituary described her as a “beautiful little girl, with an infectious smile and beautiful eyes left our world way too early.”
“Bella was an incredibly happy baby, with a heart-warming personality all to her own,” the obituary said. “She was safe and loving in her mother’s arms, always with her pacifier and a stuffed animal not far away.”
