3-year-old forced to go on dialysis after mom and boyfriend blamed catastrophic injuries on 'sleepwalking' into door handles, police say

A young parent and her fellow successful Indiana are accused of astir sidesplitting her 3-year-old daughter astatine an Airbnb, allegedly beating the kid truthful severely that astir each portion of her assemblage was bruised.

Kami Nelson, 23, and Lee E. O'Donnell Jr., 25, are each charged with 1 number of neglect of a babelike resulting successful catastrophic wounded and 1 number of neglect resulting successful superior bodily injury, tribunal records show.

The lawsuit stems from a harrowing early-morning telephone connected March 25, erstwhile constabulary were dispatched to a rental location connected Broad Street successful New Castle aft reports of an unresponsive child, The Star Press reported.

Upon arriving, archetypal responders recovered the toddler successful dire condition, lying bare connected the level and not breathing. Investigators astatine the country said the miss was "black and bluish and bruised astir each implicit her full bare assemblage and appeared to person been beaten," the Star Press reported, citing a probable origin affidavit.

Emergency aesculapian unit performed lifesaving measures earlier rushing the kid to a section infirmary for treatment. She was aboriginal airlifted to Riley Hospital for Children successful Indianapolis, wherever doctors rapidly determined the injuries were acold much terrible than initially believed.

Medical unit reported the kid was "critically ill" and "in shock" aft suffering terrible abdominal trauma that required exigency surgery, The Courier-Times reported. According to infirmary findings, the miss sustained lacerations and tears to her intestines, interior bleeding, and acute kidney wounded requiring dialysis.

"The study indicated determination were nary signs of a aesculapian information contributing to these nor is determination a aesculapian information that would origin spontaneous wounded to the intestines arsenic seen successful Juvenile Victim 1," investigators wrote successful the affidavit.

"Without aesculapian intervention, these findings would apt person been fatal and Juvenile Victim 1 inactive remains successful captious information with a guarded prognosis. The lone accidental past provided astatine this clip by caregivers is that the kid sleepwalks, which would not beryllium accordant with these abdominal injuries," the papers continued. "At this time, Juvenile Victim 1's wide constellation of findings including . . . diffuse bruising, brushed insubstantial injuries, and abdominal injuries is diagnostic of non accidental/inflicted trauma (child carnal abuse)."

As detectives began piecing unneurotic what led to the injuries, Nelson allegedly had initially told constabulary her girl had been sleepwalking and whitethorn person been "walking into doorway handles and akin items." She besides claimed the kid had been sick and vomiting successful the days starring up to the incidental and said she delayed seeking aesculapian attraction due to the fact that she had conscionable started a caller occupation and lacked insurance.

O'Donnell, who had been caring for the children portion Nelson worked, reportedly gave a starkly antithetic relationship portion showing "little to nary emotion" during his interrogation with detectives.

He told investigators Nelson had a volatile temper and described her arsenic a "manipulative liar," alleging she would go carnal with the kid "once a day, aggregate times a time sometimes." He besides claimed helium witnessed her onslaught the kid and drawback her look portion she was eating.

According to investigators, O'Donnell admitted helium was reluctant to study the alleged maltreatment "because I don't privation to extremity up homeless."

Nelson, for her part, initially denied O'Donnell could person caused the injuries but aboriginal changed her account, telling constabulary she believed helium whitethorn person been liable and was trying to "save himself."

Authorities said some suspects yet blamed 1 different for the child's condition.

Investigators besides uncovered further troubling details wrong the rental location and reportedly recovered cause paraphernalia and a 2nd young kid staying astatine the residence astatine the time.

O'Donnell was arrested aft allegedly failing to look for a scheduled polygraph trial connected March 27. He was stopped connected Interstate 70 aboriginal that time and taken into custody. Nelson was arrested the aforesaid time the kid was discovered.

The toddler reportedly remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries portion some defendants are being held successful the Henry County Jail connected $191,000 surety bonds, records show. They are scheduled to instrumentality to tribunal for pretrial hearings connected June 11.