INDIANAPOLIS Three individuals face felony neglect prices after a 12-year-old Indianapolis lady died from an an infection on her again that police say was brought on by not being cleaned by caretakers.
Court docket paperwork present the 12-year-old lady, Rosa Hargrave, and 4 different kids below the age of six lived in a house infested with rodents, feces, bugs and rotten meals.
Rosa Hargrave was described by her mother and father as being autistic and nonverbal, in accordance with court docket paperwork. She attended Indianapolis Public Faculty #28.
Rosa died on March 2 at 4:21 p.m.
In response to her obituary, Rosa “Might Might” Hargrave was a “girly lady who liked all issues pink.”
An infection
In response to court docket paperwork, Rosa’s mom introduced her to Riley Youngsters’s Hospital on Feb. 28 with issues a few wound on her again.
Police had been notified after being contacted by a Division of Little one Providers (DCS) worker who informed them that Rosa was at the moment in important situation and would seemingly die from her accidents because of the wound being contaminated. Additionally they informed police that Rosa had not eaten for 4 to 5 days.
DCS mentioned the wound was from a pores and skin graft carried out a 12 months in the past that needed to be cleaned every day.
“It’s clear that the wound was not cleaned or handled correctly,” the coroners mentioned. “Rosa is now septic because of the an infection and untreated wound”
DCS additionally mentioned that Rosa’s mom had not taken Rosa to obtain medical consideration earlier than taking her to the emergency room. Rosa’s mom informed the DCS employee that she introduced the kid in after she complained of again ache and noticed that the wound on her again was “oozing.”
In response to court docket paperwork, police realized that Rosa was final seen in Riley for a pores and skin graft in December 2020. The open wounds on her again had been round the place she had the pores and skin graft carried out. Rosa was imagined to obtain follow-up care from the Neighborhood Well being Community, however she had stopped a 12 months in the past.
Rosa’s dying
When Rosa arrived on the emergency room, she instantly started vomiting blood earlier than changing into unresponsive, court docket paperwork present.
She was pronounced useless by the hospital on March 2.
An post-mortem by the Marion County Coroner’s Workplace revealed the trigger was sepsis resulting from an infection. Rosa’s dying was additionally thought-about a murder.
The mom, Rosa Hargrave
IMPD started an investigation after being alerted by the DCS employee on March 1st. It started by interviewing Rosa’s 34-year-old mom, additionally referred to as Rosa Hargrave.
In response to the coroners, the mom informed the police that Rosa’s first pores and skin transplant occurred after Rosa’s gallbladder burst a number of years in the past. She mentioned one process brought about an an infection that led to pores and skin grafting. She additionally said that Rosa had obtained her follow-up remedy and that the pores and skin graft had utterly healed by mid-year in 2022.
Nonetheless, the post-mortem after Rosa’s dying revealed that her appendix and never her gallbladder had been eliminated.
Rosa’s mom additionally informed police that Rosa was unable to wash herself, so she and her mom, Gail Hargrave, would bathe Rosa every day.
Police spoke with Rosa’s organic father’s mom, who informed them she noticed Rosa each different weekend and was involved about her hygiene. She mentioned that Rosa usually had a foul-smelling physique odor and noticed lice in Rosa’s hair, main her to consider that she had not been bathed in a while.
Rosa’s mom additionally mentioned she did not discover something out of the extraordinary together with her daughter till she complained of again ache.
However a health care provider at Riley Hospital said that the signs of Rosa’s damage would have been current for a number of days and there was “vital concern for neglect with Rosa’s damage.”
The house
On March 1, IMPD obtained a search warrant for Hargrave’s dwelling on the Close to East Aspect.
Court docket paperwork present the house was in “extraordinarily poor and unsanitary situation.”
Police noticed a number of well being hazards, together with:
- mouse
- rodents
- cockroaches
- error
- feces
- rotten meals
- useless mice and mouse our bodies
Police mentioned the mice within the dwelling seemed to be “unafraid of any human interplay” and noticed a “fetid” odor that appeared poisonous to people and animals.
Police discovered two giant fridges with feces, bugs and spoiled meals, in addition to bugs, cockroaches and feces on the kitchen worktops and pans.
Rosa’s room was on the primary flooring in the back of the home. A toilet was linked to her room, however there was no operating water. Police additionally noticed medical provides in Rosa’s room, however mentioned there seemed to be feces on and contained in the gauze dressing.
Different kids
Police additionally discovered 4 different kids within the dwelling, all below the age of six.
The kids had been medically assessed and noticed with insect/mouse bites and rashes on their our bodies, grime and bruises on their faces. One little one had a really soiled diaper. Police mentioned the youngsters had bother speaking and had been believed to be malnourished and dehydrated.
Two of the youngsters had been decided to be Rosa’s mom and her boyfriend, Charles Turner. The opposite two kids belonged to Rosa’s aunt, Felicia Hargrave.
Boyfriend, Charles Turner
Police interviewed Rosa’s mom’s boyfriend, Charles Turner, on March 2. Turner informed police he had been with Rosa’s mom for about 10 years and lived in the home for five or 6 years.
Turner informed police he doesn’t bathe Rosa or change her diaper. He mentioned he did not see something unsuitable with Rosa, solely that she began mendacity down three days earlier than she needed to go to the hospital. He mentioned he thought she had a chilly.
When requested concerning the mice and bugs in the home, Turner informed police that they had solely been there for about three days.
The aunt, Felicia Hargrave
Police interviewed Rosa’s aunt, Felicia Hargrave, who additionally lived in the home together with her two kids.
Felicia informed police that she had final given Rosa a shower on February 21 and that her again was utterly regular.
Felicia additionally informed police she did not discover something unsuitable with Rosa till February 28, when Rosa pointed to her again and yelled “I am damage, I am damage!” Felicia mentioned she then lifted Rosa’s shirt and noticed that her again was draining an unknown substance. She then referred to as Rosa’s main care doctor, who suggested them to go to the hospital.
Additional investigation
IMPD spoke with different adults in Rosa’s life and realized that Rosa had as soon as proven as much as her organic father’s home with mattress bugs and a useless cockroach in her backpack and infrequently smelled of urine.
A evaluate of Rosa’s medical information revealed that she had a historical past of pores and skin infections with a delay in medical remedy.
A physician said that Rosa’s household ought to have had extra information about pores and skin infections and wounds “primarily based on Rosa’s previous medical historical past.”
Court docket paperwork present the physician additionally informed police there have been seemingly apparent indicators of an infection, akin to:
- fever
- lack of urge for food
- fatigue
- altered psychological standing.
Ultimately, he said that the earlier medical intervention was sought, the extra seemingly Rosa might have survived the an infection.
Arrests
Following the investigation, Rosa D. Hargrave, 34, Felicia L. Hargrave, 31, and Charles A Turner, 56, had been arrested on April 12 for his or her roles in Rosa’s dying.
All three adults had been charged with neglect of a relative leading to bodily damage, a Stage 5 felony. The mom, Rosa D. Hargrave, was additionally charged with neglect of a relative leading to dying, a Stage 1 felony.
