South Whitley Woman Facing Three Child Neglect Charges
Posted
Amanda Bridgman-
A 29-year-old South Whitley mother recently was arrested and is accused of neglecting her three children.
Mariah Catherine Coffelt, 29, of 908 Sara St., South Whitley, was booked in the Whitley County Jail at 11:15 a.m. Nov. 24 and faces three Level 6 felony charges for neglect of a dependent.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed Nov. 20 in Whitley Superior Court, on July 15 caseworkers with the Department of Child Services reviewed a report of neglect of a 3-month-old. The following day, DCS received another report involving the same child that showed a medical diagnosis of “failure to thrive.” At this point, DCS and other support agencies became involved with the child and the family, including Coffelt, the mother.
According to court papers, over the next three months, Coffelt missed doctor appointments for the baby and avoided DCS. On Oct. 23, the child was removed from Coffelt’s home and taken to a pediatrician, where the baby was urgently admitted to the pediatric unit at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne.
The child had a diagnoses of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and was positive for weight loss, something the physician reported was “most likely maternal noncompliance and negligence in terms of providing adequate nutrition,” according to the affidavit.
The child was released from the hospital the next day to a foster family. Subsequent removal of two other children of Coffelt’s followed, and prosecutors believe those children have also been the victim of neglect.
According to the affidavit, one of the children was seen by a doctor on Oct. 29 and during that visit failed six of 13 benchmarks in development, was found to have significant tooth decay, failed a vision screen, had low hemoglobin, had global developmental delay and failed the 42-month ASQ in gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, personal social domains and borderline communication failure.
The other child also was seen by the same doctor that same day and it was determined that child had not had a well-child check-up since he was 6 months old, failed eight of 11 benchmarks in development, had several global developmental delay, failed the ASQ in all domains, was not walking or talking and had several rashes that were undiagnosed and went untreated. One of the rashes on the child’s bottom bled when it was wiped and was later determined to be diaper rash that cleared up with regular bathing, diaper changes and cream, according to court papers.
The two children were not up to date on their childhood immunizations.
Coffelt was released from jail Monday with pretrial supervision.
