An adorable three-month-old girl tragically died after her father heartlessly abandoned her in a baby swing.
Jacob Vera was charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury in connection with his infant’s death back in 2023.
Vera pleaded guilty to federal charges on Thursday after he was accused of abandoning his 16-month-old daughter, Annalise, and his three-month-old daughter, Isabella, in an Indiana hotel room.
The mother, Jessica Brown, told police her daughters were fine when she left them with Vera on March 25, 2023, according to the affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
Brown went to work at around 2pm, and Vera abandoned his girls a few hours later, according to the police.
The mother returned to the Bestway Inn hotel in Muncie at around 8.30pm, where she made the horrific discovery.
Brown found Annalise sobbing ‘uncontrollably’ in a mobile crib and Isabella swaddled in a blanket, rocking in a swing.
Three-month-old Isabella Vera was found dead after her father heartlessly abandoned her and her sister
Jacob Vera and Jessica Brown with their two daughters during the holidays
When Brown scooped up Isabella, she realized the baby wasn’t breathing.
Panicked, she rushed to a nearby room for help, as Vera had left with their only phone, Brown told police.
Muncie Police Department officers responded to the call, where medical personnel noted that the infant’s lifeless body showed signs of rigor mortis, indicating that Isabella had died roughly two hours before responders arrived.
It was later determined that the three month old died from asphyxiation, according to the coroner.
Witnesses at the hotel told police that Vera went to their rooms asking for a ride to Chicago, with one woman saying she agreed to drive him in exchange for gas money.
Vera claimed that the infant was asleep when he left, and admitted he abandoned the children to travel to Chicago and avoid drama with the mother, per the affidavit.
The father also admitted that he wrapped Isabella in a blanket and ‘then laid another blanket on top of her in the swing,’ according to the affidavit.
He told investigators, ‘If I’m guilty of anything it’s the leaving,’ the affidavit stated.
Isabelle was a younger sister to Annalise, her obituary says Annalise was always nearby with an abundance of kisses
Prosecutors agreed to drop the earlier neglect resulting in death charge in exchange for Vera pleading guilty to neglect resulting in serious bodily injury, 9News reported.
Vera’s plea deal set a maximum sentence at nine years, but the judge has the final say on how long the father will serve.
Isabella was ‘an incredibly happy baby’ and ‘perfect little sister,’ according to her obituary.
‘She was safe and loving in her mother’s arms… Her sister Annalise was her best friend, always nearby with an abundance of kisses,’ it read.
