A life that was cut short due to neglect is the tragic story of Zaelynn.
Everyone has the right to be loved and cared for, including children. You should seek assistance from a member of your family or contact authorities such as child protective services if you are unable or unwilling to provide care for a child. Little Zaelynn was never given the chance to experience it, and it is imperative that her terrible story be told so that she is not forgotten.
Unearthing a Startling Finding
In the year 2024, on a chilly day in November, the Berne, Indiana, police were called to an apartment complex in order to investigate a fatality that had occurred there. Everyone, including the most seasoned officers, was taken aback by what they discovered. The young couple Sintia Perez, age 21, and Jace Hirschy, age 23, resided in the same house along with their two young children. An unsettling reality was revealed by their attitude when they were questioned about their third child, Zaelynn.
Little Zaelynn was compelled to sleep in a closet, and the only source of warmth she had was a space heater. The family lived in filthy conditions. Unfortunately, this scheme ended up being fatal. The cause of death for Zaelynn was hyperthermia, also known as overheating.
The Terrible Predicaments That Exist
Moving from the bedroom into the closet where Zaelynn slept, the cops instantly observed a considerable jump in temperature. This occurred when they detected the temperature rise. The two-year-old child was discovered inside, sleeping on a dirty mattress, with her nappy still in place. Her small body displayed symptoms of the dreadful conditions that she had been subjected to. The results of the autopsy showed that by the time the authorities arrived, her body temperature had alarmingly reached 109.4 degrees.
The previous evening, at seven o’clock, she had put Zaelynn to bed and turned the thermostat up to virtually its maximum setting, as stated by Perez. The following day, Perez did not wake up until 12:30 p.m., and neither she nor Hirschy investigated the well-being of their daughter until 3 p.m. It was already too late by that point.
It was an intolerable environment for the toddler to be in since the temperature inside the wardrobe had reached a potentially lethal 109 degrees above the ceiling.
One that is brimming with love
It was said that Zaelynn was a child who was full of life and enjoyed having fun. “She was always full of life and joy,” her obituary said, “with big, beautiful blue eyes and long eyelashes that brightened up any room.” Her eyes were characterised as being large and beautiful. It was said that “Zaelynn had a spunky little spirit, and she will be deeply missed by her entire family,” and it was written that way.
Unsuitable for family living
Conditions within the house were deplorable to say the least. There was a cockroach infestation in the residence, which meant that the older children were living in a “extremely unhealthy” environment. Mould and flies were discovered in a pot that was stored on the stove. The pot was covered in flies.
Both of the couple’s other children, who were found to have lice, were taken into custody by the Department of Child Services. The children were ages 5 and 3, respectively.
The Repercussions of the Law
Numerous counts of neglect, including Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death, a Level 1 Felony, as well as other counts of neglect, were brought against Perez and Hirschy after they received arrest and charges. In the meanwhile, they are being imprisoned at the Adams County Jail, and their trial before a jury is slated to take place on March 7, 2025.
