JASPER – Two Jasper parents are facing felony charges of neglect of a dependent, causing serious bodily injury after their 11-month-old son was found locked in the family van. The child had been missing for several hours, according to authorities.
The Jasper Police Department received a 911 call from one of the parents around 9 a.m. Thursday, reporting the child missing. Officers responded and located the child in the family van parked outside the residence. The child was reportedly found with a blanket but without a car seat. Investigators believe the child had been in the vehicle for approximately seven and a half hours, exposed to overnight temperatures in the low thirties.
“We have evidence to believe the child was outside for about seven and a half hours,” said Lt. Greg Brescher of the Jasper Police Department. Authorities stated that the outcome could have been far worse had the child not been found when he was.
The parents, 31-year-old Kiona Kunkler and 36-year-old Cody Christensen, were taken into custody for questioning.
“They made statements that the child had been with them the night before, and when they woke up, the child was gone. We believe the child didn’t leave the house alone and that one of the parents placed him in the van,” Lt. Brescher said.
Both parents reportedly showed signs of intoxication, and officials suspect drugs and alcohol were involved.
The child was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia and dehydration. He is now in the care of family members and his older sister.
A Jasper Police K9 unit assisted in the investigation, locating narcotics inside the van and the home.
Kunkler and Christensen are being held in the Dubois County Security Center. Christensen’s bond was set at $15,000, while Kunkler was released with monitoring without having to post a bond. While the neglect charges have been filed, additional drug-related charges are pending lab results.
Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
