Court records say the 4-year-old was found unresponsive in a south Indianapolis home after hours without care.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — A 4-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and other serious medical conditions died after police said he was left in a basement closet inside a south Indianapolis home, leading to preliminary neglect charges against his mother and her boyfriend.
The case drew swift attention because investigators said the child had extensive health needs, could not care for himself and had previously been removed from his mother’s custody over medical neglect concerns. Police say the boy was found unresponsive Monday afternoon and later pronounced dead at Riley Hospital. His mother, Angel Lovely, 37, and her boyfriend, Nicholas Bergdoll, 36, were arrested on preliminary counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, while prosecutors reviewed the case.
Police were called to the home on Monticello Drive at about 4:25 p.m. Monday after a report of an unresponsive child. When officers arrived, they found Lovely performing CPR on her son, Malichi Lovely, according to court-record summaries cited by local media. Emergency crews took him to Riley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Investigators later said the boy had been found in a basement closet under the stairs. WRTV reported the child was discovered there around 4:30 p.m. after spending much of the day in that space. The records say Lovely told police she put Malichi in the closet after he had been awake for days and would not stop screaming. She said she checked on him in the morning, then went to sleep and did not see him again until late afternoon, after another child said something was wrong.
Investigators said Malichi had severe medical problems that included cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other conditions tied to his premature birth. Local reports said he could not walk, was nonverbal and was fed through a tube. Court records said he weighed 22 pounds when he died. Police also found blood on or near bedding in the closet area, including on blankets and the closet door, according to local coverage of the affidavit. One of the children in the home told investigators the boy gagged that morning, but the sound did not seem unusual. Another child later opened the door and saw blood coming from Malichi’s mouth and his eyes rolled back, according to a court-record account quoted by local outlets. Authorities have said the official cause and manner of death were still pending with the coroner, leaving a central question unresolved even as the neglect case moved ahead.
The statements gathered from the other children became a key part of the case. Investigators said three siblings told them Malichi was often kept in the closet, spent much of his time there and slept on blankets on the floor. One child said he stayed there all day, while another said their mother locked him inside and did not pay attention to him. Those accounts sharply differed from Lovely’s statement that she used the space only at times when she needed a short break. Bergdoll told police he did not agree with putting the child in the closet, but said it was not his place to tell her how to raise her children. According to one report, he used profanity when making that point. Investigators also described the house as dirty and unkempt, adding to the picture of neglect laid out in the affidavit.
The case also raised questions about what happened before Malichi’s death. Court records cited by local reporters say the Indiana Department of Child Services had removed the boy from Lovely’s care in April 2024 because of concerns about medical neglect, missed medical appointments and poor feeding. The records say DCS advised against returning him to her custody, but she regained full custody the following year. That history has become one of the most closely watched parts of the case because it suggests state officials had already documented concerns about whether his medical needs were being met. Neighbors interviewed by local television stations said they were shocked by the allegations. One neighbor said she had seen other children at the house but did not know a wheelchair-using boy lived there. Another said the case broke her heart and left her wondering whether more could have been done sooner.
As of the latest local reports, Lovely and Bergdoll were being held at the Marion County Jail while the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office considered formal charges. A court appearance was scheduled for March 30. Police have not announced additional counts, and the coroner had not yet released a final ruling on how the child died. That means the neglect case may still shift as medical findings come in and prosecutors decide whether to file the same charge, add others or narrow the case to specific acts described in the affidavit. For now, the investigation centers on the hours before Malichi was found, the longer pattern described by siblings and the prior custody history that placed him back in the same home.
The scene described in court records was stark. Investigators said the basement area was cluttered with stored items, including Christmas decorations, and that the small closet under the stairs had become the place where Malichi was often put. Local police spokesman Tommy Thompson said the allegation sickened him, telling one outlet to imagine being shut in a closet every day with no light. Neighbors also spoke with visible emotion, saying the case left them shaken. The details that emerged were not about a single moment alone, but about daily living conditions for a child who could not speak for himself, could not walk away and depended on adults for food, medical care and safety.
The case stood at a waiting point Sunday, with both adults jailed, formal charges still under review and a court date set for March 30. The next major step is expected to come from prosecutors and the coroner’s office as they determine how the case will proceed.
Author note: Last updated March 29, 2026.