Judge Rejects Plea Deal for Hobart Woman in Toddler’s Fentanyl Death
A Lake County judge has rejected a proposed plea agreement for Tiffany Nicole Jenkins, a Hobart woman charged with Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death, a Level 1 Felony, in connection with the June 2023 death of her 2-year-old daughter, Avia Jenkins.
According to court documents, officers responded to Jenkins’ residence on Harvest Court in Crown Point on June 4, 2023, after receiving a call about an unresponsive child. Police found Avia Jenkins lying on her back with no pulse. The room was in deplorable condition, with cigarette butts, garbage, old food, and dishes scattered throughout. Officers also observed uncapped hypodermic needles and a metal spoon with burn marks—items accessible to the toddler.
Toxicology tests revealed that Avia had 12.1 ng/ml of fentanyl and 4.3 ng/ml of norfentanyl in her system. Her cause of death was determined to be fentanyl intoxication.
Jenkins later tested positive for fentanyl, cocaine, and THC. She admitted to using drugs as recently as June 3, 2023, and acknowledged that the residence was unsafe for a child. She stated she had placed her daughter in a “neglectful surrounding.”
Jenkins was formally charged on December 8, 2023, in Lake Superior Court, Criminal Division 1. The sole charge is:
- Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death: Level 1 Felony — for knowingly or intentionally placing a dependent in a situation that endangered her life or health, which resulted in death, and where the defendant is the parent or custodian.
A plea agreement offering a 20-year prison sentence was submitted but rejected on May 29, 2025, by Judge Salvador Vasquez, who deemed it inappropriate given the facts of the case. A further proceeding to set a trial date has been scheduled for July 17, 2025.
Jenkins remains in custody.
