Police say child welfare workers found the 1-year-old with a severe diaper rash and a diaper containing trash and bugs.
MUNCIE, Ind. — An Indiana mother and grandmother were arrested after child welfare workers found a 1-year-old with a severe diaper rash and a diaper that contained trash and bugs, according to court documents cited by police.
Jasmine Duff, 34, and Shara Stevens, 52, each face a preliminary felony charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in injury. The case began Friday at a home on the 1700 block of East Princeton Avenue in Muncie, where police said they were called to assist the Indiana Department of Child Services during an investigation into the child’s condition and living environment.
Muncie police officers were dispatched shortly before 1:45 p.m. after child services workers requested backup. When officers arrived, they found Stevens and the child inside the residence, according to the court documents. Workers examined the 1-year-old and found an intensely red diaper rash. The documents said Department of Child Services workers described the rash as the worst they had ever seen.
Investigators said the child’s diaper contained trash and bugs. Police questioned Duff and Stevens about the child’s condition. According to the documents, both women said the rash had been present for about one week. They told investigators they believed the injury was caused by generic-brand diapers and the quality of the diapers, police said.
Authorities said they found enough evidence to arrest both women on allegations of neglect. Duff and Stevens were taken into custody by the Muncie Police Department and booked into the Delaware County jail. Court records showed bond for each woman was set at $5,000 with a 10% cash provision.
The charge listed in reports is neglect of a dependent resulting in injury, a Level 5 felony under Indiana law. Police have not released additional details about the child’s medical treatment, whether the child was removed from the home, or whether other children were present at the residence. Information about future court appearances was not immediately available.
The case remains in its early stages. Duff and Stevens have been accused in court documents, but no conviction has been reported. They are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Author note: Last updated July 1, 2026.