Background: A section of South Bancroft Street in Indianapolis, Ind. (Google Maps). Inset: Nasha Williams (Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department).
A woman in Indiana is accused of leaving her baby alone on a couch for more than an hour while she drank and chatted with neighbors, leading to the child's death.
Nasha Williams, 28, has been charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death and neglect of a dependent, according to Marion County court records reviewed by Law&Crime. She is in the Marion County Jail and being held without bond.
The child victim who died was identified by local Fox affiliate WXIN as 7-month-old Syncere Williams.
On March 30, Williams was at her home on South Bancroft Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. She had five children, including Syncere and his twin, and as she went to a nearby Kroger grocery store for milk, she brought all of them with her.
She said the store didn't have milk, so they went back home, per a probable cause affidavit filed in the case. She then cleaned up a bit and went to Walmart at about 2:30 p.m. that day and, again, returned home.
She then "propped" one twin on a small couch and then "left" Syncere "on the other end of the couch." As Syncere drank a bottle, Williams said she went to make dinner and speak with a neighbor.
Some time later, the boy was found "not awake and not breathing."
The timeline shared by Williams was hazy, police said. At first, she said "she was outside for less than 5 minutes," but later, she admitted "it was possible it was closer to an hour and a half because she got 'wrapped up' being outside with her neighbors," per the court document.
A neighbor reportedly noticed Syncere "was not breathing," and he and his twin were still on the couch with no other adults at the home. She told Williams to call 911 and then called the defendant's mother. The neighbor said Williams "smelled of Liquor and her speech appeared to be slurred."
Officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the home to find Syncere "in the arms of the mother," Williams. The officer asked Williams "if that was the child, to which she did not respond."
Syncere was brought to a nearby children's hospital, where he was "listed in critical condition." Williams said he had "no medical issues" and that she had set the child down and "went upstairs to fold laundry."
The boy was taken off life support on April 22 after doctors determined that "due to his brain damage he had very little hope of meaningful recovery." An autopsy conducted on his body said he died of an "[u]nexplained sudden death" with "extrinsic factors identified," and no manner of death was concluded.
When an officer interviewed Williams and asked her to use a "reenactment doll" to show what she remembered, Williams displayed how Syncere "would take a cover/blanket and roll on his side to stay warm." She said that when she and her neighbor found the boy, he was "rolled on his left side," not moving, "and the blanket was around his face."
He was also "between the pillow and couch cushion."
The defendant admitted she "had some alcohol tonight but denied being intoxicated" and denied using drugs, police said. However, when told that her neighbor as well as officers said she was intoxicated, Williams allegedly replied, "you could say that" and conceded she had drunk about a half pint of Jose Cuervo tequila.
Williams had been "chilling and drinking with her neighbors" as Syncere lay on the couch inside, she said, according to the court document.
The following day, authorities took a blood test from Williams and said they learned she had a 0.159% blood alcohol concentration. Investigators also reviewed GPS data, determining that "Williams was primarily located outside of her residence" from 4 p.m. on March 30 until the 911 call at 6:45 p.m.
The probable cause affidavit adds: "Very few data points put her inside her home during that time."
Williams was arrested on Wednesday and booked into the Marion County Jail. She is scheduled to have an initial hearing in court on Tuesday.
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