An Indianapolis mother is wanted on felony neglect charges after her 7-month-old baby died after being left alone while she was allegedly intoxicated.
Nasha Williams is charged with a Level 1 felony for neglect of a dependent resulting in death, as well as a Level 6 felony for neglect of a dependant.
The inquiry began on March 30 when dispatch reported that a newborn was not awake or breathing at a residence in the 1400 block of S. Bancroft Street on Indianapolis’ east side. An officer from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Abuse Unit responded and reported seeing a 7-month-old baby in the arms of its mother, identified as Williams.
The cop began compressing the baby’s chest until further medical staff arrived on the scene. The baby was subsequently sent to Riley Children’s Hospital and was initially classified as being in “critical condition.”
During an interview with police, Williams reportedly stated that her child had no known medical problems and that she had placed them on the couch downstairs before going upstairs to fold laundry. She stated she returned downstairs a short time later to find her toddler motionless.
During a subsequent interview with detectives, Williams reportedly stated that she left the house to go to Kroger for milk, bringing all of her children with. She stated the Kroger didn’t have milk, so she went home and started cleaning.
She claimed that when she got home, she started talking to her neighbor. She claimed she propped up the victim on a little couch while she went to speak with the neighbor and make dinner. According to court documents, she claimed to have been outside for less than five minutes.
Williams stated that when she returned, she discovered the victim rolled on his left side with the blanket wrapped around his face. During the interview, she admitted to consuming alcohol that evening but denied being inebriated.
According to court documents, she eventually admitted that the victim was alone inside the home for 10-15 minutes, but that “it could have been longer.” She then adjusted the timeline to indicate that the victim may have been inside alone for at least an hour.
She admitted to drinking “a little bit” while relaxing outside with her neighbors. During this time, she stated that the victim was inside, while her older children were outside playing.
She later admitted that she forgot the victim was inside on the couch because she was “wrapped up” being outside with her neighbors. When told that authorities on the scene suspected she was intoxicated, Williams reportedly answered, “You could say that.”
She says she drank half a pint of Jose Cuervo tequila that evening. Detectives also spoke with one of Williams’ neighbors, who claimed her speech was slurred and she “smelled of liquor,” according to court filings. According to court filings, the neighbor was the one who alerted Williams after finding her kid unresponsive while walking inside her apartment for ice.
As part of the inquiry, investigators requested a blood draw. This revealed that Williams allegedly had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.159%, nearly twice the legal limit.
During the inquiry, police checked GPS data from Williams’ phone, which showed she was largely outside from 4 p.m. until 6:45 p.m. According to records, the baby was taken off life support on April 22 due to concerns about his brain impairment, with hospital officials stating that he had “very little hope of meaningful recovery.”
On August 27, the coroner’s office found that the cause of death was “unexplained sudden death (extrinsic factors identified)” and the manner of death was unknown.
According to online court records, a warrant for her arrest was issued out of Marion Superior Court 29 on Wednesday.
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