Ronnica Delilah Taylor, 33, of Gary, is facing multiple felony charges after police said officers found several young children unattended outside a residence in the 2500 block of East 22nd Avenue in Gary late Sunday night, where officers also discovered what they described as deplorable living conditions inside the home.
According to court documents, Gary police were dispatched around 10:13 p.m. on May 17 for a welfare check. When officers arrived around 11:13 p.m., police said they found three children sitting in the front lawn, including a 10-year-old girl holding an infant. One of the children allegedly told officers, “My mommy put us out and said she don’t want us anymore.”
Police said the four children involved were a 10-year-old girl, an infant girl who was almost 6 months old, a 3-year-old boy, and a 5-year-old boy.
Police said a nearby neighbor helped shelter the children inside her home while Gary Fire Department medics checked on them. According to the affidavit, medics told officers the 10-year-old said her head hurt because Taylor “hit her in the head with a pot and pulled her hair.”
Court documents state officers later encountered Taylor walking nearby. Police said she admitted the children were hers, then allegedly attempted to walk away and run while officers were questioning her before she was detained.
Investigators said Taylor told officers she had been involved in an altercation with her ex-boyfriend and placed the children outside to get them away from the situation. Taylor also told police she left the 3-year-old child asleep inside the residence. Officers entered the home with Taylor’s permission and located the child asleep in a back room.
According to the affidavit, officers described the inside of the residence as extremely unsanitary, with mice, garbage, food debris, feces, and other hazardous conditions throughout the home. One officer reportedly said it was the worst condition he had seen in 19 years as a police officer.
Investigators said Taylor told detectives she had been arguing with her ex-boyfriend over allegations he had inappropriately touched the 10-year-old child, and admitted becoming angry while questioning the child about those allegations.
During a recorded interview with detectives, Taylor allegedly admitted she became angry and struck the 10-year-old with her fists before later admitting she hit the child with a pot multiple times. Police said Taylor also admitted pulling the child’s hair, forcing her outside, and making her go back to get the infant.
Lodged in the Lake County Jail.
Charges filed May 19, 2026:
Battery Resulting In Bodily Injury To A Person Under 14 When Defendant Is 18 Or Older — Level 5 Felony
Neglect Of A Dependent Resulting In Bodily Injury — Level 5 Felony
Battery On A Person Less Than 14 Years Old When Defendant Is 18 Or Older — Level 6 Felony
Neglect Of A Dependent — Level 6 Felony — Four Counts
