Couple charged with neglect in 1-year-old’s death

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - Two Fort Wayne women are facing neglect charges after court documents say a 1-year-old left in their care died of traumatic injuries.

Court documents say police were called to a home around 11 a.m. on Aug. 10 on reports that a 1-year-old was unconscious and having difficulty breathing. The baby was then rushed to an area hospital, where a doctor found she had a traumatic brain injury and her left lung had collapsed.

After more tests, they say the injuries appeared to be from “non-accidental trauma” in the form of “violent shaking.” The child was pronounced dead a week later, on Aug. 17.

Court documents say the child’s mother left the 1-year-old with 24-year-old Sharon Myers and 26-year-old Chrisona Bright, who were dating and living together. Bright asked the woman to have her child stay the night on Aug. 9 so she could continue playing with her daughter.

When the woman went back the next morning to pick up her child, she said Myers was holding the baby up but couldn’t keep her head stable. She said she immediately took her child out to her car and called 911. Paramedics then arrived and took her to the hospital.

She said Myers and Bright went to the hospital as well, but once people started questioning them about what happened, they left. The woman said despite multiple attempts to get a statement from them to better understand what happened, she never heard back from them.

A Department of Child Services Family Case Manager later spoke with Myers, who admitted to doing fentanyl the morning the girl was rushed to the hospital. She said the baby appeared to be fine aside from her “breathing funny,” and didn’t know what happened to her.

Both Myers and Bright were arrested on September 13 on three neglect charges, including neglect resulting in death.

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