GRANT COUNTY, Ind. — Two people were arrested and charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death after an infant died last summer.
Jamar Barnett, 29, and Kayla Hernandez, 23, both from Marion, were arrested Feb. 1, although the charges stem from an incident that happened on Aug. 9, 2023, when Marion police and EMS were called to the 1300 block of West Nelson Street on reports of an unresponsive infant.
The infant was later transported to Marion Health where they later died.
Authorities then launched an investigation, and an arrest warrant was issued for Barnett and Hernandez. Their bond was set at $100,000.
On Feb. 1, a Marion Police Department officer made a traffic stop on Barnett in the 2100 block of Western Avenue. Two officers tried to detain Barnett, but reported that he fled on foot. One officer deployed a taser during that pursuit, but it was not effective, according to the department.
Officers then said they backtracked the foot pursuit and found a clear plastic bag containing pressed M30 pills that later tested positive as fentanyl.
Barnett was eventually transported to the Grant County Jail and was charged with dealing in a controlled substance and resisting law enforcement resulting in injury, as one officer reportedly got a cut on his hand during the pursuit. He also faces a charge for neglect of a dependent resulting in death.
Hernandez was later found by Marion police and the JEAN Drug Task Force. She was transported to Grant County Jail for neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Level 1 felony.
