Children Found Alone Outside And Inside Nonfunctional House
On February 7th, 2025, Merrillville Police were dispatched to the 300 block of E. 60th Drive, for a welfare check, according to court documents. Dispatch advised the responding officer that there was a 3 or 4 year old child who was outside and told the caller he did not know where his parents were. Dispatch advised that the child was crying and now standing in the doorway. Dispatch also advised that the caller could hear another child inside crying.
Upon arrival, the officer observed an older female standing by the door who wished to remain anonymous. The female stated that she saw the child outside and that she had been calling inside the residence and was not getting a response back from any adults. The officer asked the child where his mom was. The child stated to the officer his mom was at work. While the officer was standing in the doorway, he could hear a young child screaming extremely loudly from the stop of the stairs. The officer entered the residence to check on the child, due to no adults answering.
The officer entered the residence and found that the residence smelled like old trash and human waste. The officer noted that the space heater was plugged into the wall through an extension cord, creating an extremely high fire hazard risk. The officer could feel heat coming from the kitchen area, and observed the stove to be on. The officer noticed all 4 burners were ignited with open flames coming from them. Because there was a large amount of grease on the stove, the officer turned off the stove. The officer noted that the kitchen sink had a large pile of dishes, as well as mold and stagnant water sitting in it.
As the officer began to go upstairs, the officer observed the wooden stairs were loose and the steps had holes in them. The officer also noted the holes in the stairs were large enough that a child could fit their feet through them. The officer noticed a young male at the top of the stairs screaming. The officer also observed that there was not a child gate to prevent children from falling down the stairs. The officer checked both bedrooms and found no one on scene. The officer observed that the toilet was filled with feces and there was no running water to the residence.
While the officer was checking the bedrooms, the officer heard the front door open. The officer observed a black female enter the bedroom they were not in. The female was identified as 24 year old, Kiara Brown-Shaw. The officer advised Brown-Shaw why they were there and she stated she was only gone for 5 minutes. The officer informed Brown-Shaw that they were called due to a child being outside, and that they had found open flames on the stove when he came in. The officer also informed her that the baby was at the top of the stairs by himself screaming and crying. Kiara Brown-Shaw stated they leave the stove on due to the heat not working in the home.
Kiara Brown-Shaw informed the officer that she is one of the mothers of the children. Brown-Shaw identified the older child with a date of birth of June, 2020, and she stated she did not know the last name of the younger child. Brown-Shaw identified the second child with a date of birth of June, 2024. Kiara Brown-Shaw then stated that victim 1 and victim 2’s mother was her girlfriend of three months. The officer asked Brown-Shaw where the mother was at and she stated she was at work.
The officer then arrested Kiara Brown-Shaw and transported her to Lake County Jail. Indiana Department of Child Services was notified as well as EMS. Brown-Shaw has been charged with 2 counts of Neglect of a Dependant as a Level 5 felony and 2 counts of Neglect of a Dependant as a Level 6 felony.
