FRANKFORT, Ind. — The Frankfort Police Department, with assistance from the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, served arrest warrants Thursday, September 17, for 31-year-old Jacob Aaron Neal and 27-year-old Elizabeth Lynn Crow, both of Frankfort.
The Clinton County Prosecutor’s Office has charged both Neal and Crow with Level 3 felony neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury.
The arrests stem from a Frankfort Police Department investigation that began August 26 after police received a report of alleged abuse and neglect from IU Health Frankfort Hospital.
According to police, the child appeared malnourished, had severe bruising and had suffered several fractures. Detectives began their investigation at the Frankfort hospital before the child was transferred to an Indianapolis hospital in critical condition.
Police said the child has since been upgraded to stable condition.
The Indiana Department of Child Services was contacted immediately after the report was received. DCS removed other children from the care of Neal and Crow. According to police, those children were in good health.
As part of the investigation, police determined that food had allegedly been withheld from the child as a form of punishment. Investigators also allege the child was punished for being caught eating food.
“This is a heartbreaking case,” said Frankfort Police Chief Scott Shoemaker. “My thoughts are with the child as well as to the responding officers, detectives and medical teams in Frankfort and Indianapolis who have cared and continue to care for him.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
Neal and Crow are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
