INDIANAPOLIS – A mother is facing criminal charges tied to the death of her infant son in September 2024.
Court documents unsealed this week show that 27-year-old Brooklyn Davis has been charged with three counts of neglect of a dependent. The charges include one Level 3 felony and two Level 6 felonies.
According to the probable cause affidavit, officers responded to Community East Hospital on Sept. 19, 2024, after a two-month-old boy died. The infant had been living with his family and was found unresponsive at their home on Mountain Stream Way.
Brooklyn Davis/Booking photo
The affidavit cited a report from the Department of Child Services that indicated:
Juvenile Victim 1 was driven to Community East by mother at 2:30 a.m. Juvenile Victim 1 was in cardiac arrest and never regained a pulse. Juvenile Victim 1 was pronounced deceased at 3:07 a.m. on 9/19/2024. It is believed this was a possible co-sleeping situation with an unknown sibling.
The infant had no known health issues, according to Davis, who operates an FSSA-licensed daycare and has “extensive training on child care and safe sleeping environments.”
The autopsy determined the cause of death as “sudden explained death of an infant,” identifying an intrinsic factor.
According to the autopsy report, that intrinsic factor involved the baby being “placed to sleep in a queen-sized mattress being shared with a 6-year-old sibling, along with numerous blankets and other miscellaneous items; discovered unresponsive in a prone position with his face turned to the side and partially covered with a blanket.”
Court documents state the baby was born marijuana positive, and Davis was known to DCS. On July 2, she signed a “Safe Sleep Safety Plan,” acknowledging that the safest place for her baby to sleep was in a “crib, pack and play or bassinet.”
“Sleeping on a couch, adult bed, or bean bag increases my baby’s risk of suffocation,” the agreement stated.
Through the plan, Davis acknowledged that co-sleeping placed her baby at risk of suffocation and that the sleeping area should remain free of blankets, pillows, and other items.
The affidavit stated that the boy was sleeping on Davis’ bed with her 6-year-old son. In the early morning hours, Davis and a family member found the infant unresponsive, and she began performing CPR. She also showed investigators a video of the baby sleeping chest down on her 6-year-old son’s chest.
During an interview, Davis said she went downstairs to smoke marijuana, leaving the children upstairs alone. The safety plan she signed included a provision agreeing not to use marijuana while caring for her children.
Investigators argue that Davis, as a daycare operator who had signed the safe sleeping plan, should have known better.
“Due to Brooklyn’s actions and disregarding the safety plan and her training, DCS removed her two remaining children from her home,” the affidavit stated.
Interviews with other children in the home revealed that co-sleeping frequently occurred with the infant. Court documents show investigators made several attempts to contact Davis after speaking with her children.
“She called me on February 18, 2025, and said she didn’t do anything wrong, her baby died of SIDS,” the detective wrote in the affidavit. “Brooklyn never came in for an additional interview.”
Court records indicate the case was filed in March 2026, with the probable cause affidavit unsealed this week. Jail records show she was booked into jail on April 1, with an initial hearing held on April 7. A bail review hearing is scheduled for April 20.
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