Home where toddler got severe frostbite was 55 degrees inside, cops say. Mom arrested

A mother was arrested after her 3-year-old son was brought to a hospital with a severe case of frostbite, which may lead to a leg amputation, Indiana cops say.

Police in Indianapolis said there was no heat and the pipes were frozen in the home where the nonverbal toddler lived. Outside temperatures were in the single digits in the days that led to 28-year-old Amber Griffith taking her child to the hospital, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The child’s hospital visit was prompted by his mother’s own foot pain, family members testified. She was unable to walk due to the pain, so the family sought medical care, police said.

As the boy’s grandmother began putting the child’s shoes on so they could go to the hospital, she discovered the toddler’s foot was swollen, the affidavit states. That’s when the grandmother saw how discolored the child’s foot was.

Officers said the boy was taken to the hospital Jan. 19. Doctors began treating the boy for frostbite in his right foot and surgery was scheduled for Jan. 24, with a worse-case scenario of a leg amputation.

Doctors believe the home environment led to the frostbite and the boy’s foot becoming black, police said in the affidavit.

According to her testimony outlined in the affidavit, Griffith was unaware her child’s foot was discolored until they were preparing for her to go to the hospital.

“Amber said (the child’s) foot was discolored 2-3 weeks prior to going to the hospital but then became normal again,” police said. “Amber said 2-3 days prior to the hospital, his foot looked normal and maybe a little drained of color.”

During the investigation, police said its officers went to the home and discovered it was 55 degrees in the kitchen and living room.

It’s unclear how long the child had frostbite. His aunt said he was “his normal self ... the day before or two days prior to him going to the hospital,” according to her testimony.

Police arrested Griffith, charging her with neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, according to court documents.

In 2015, two children were removed from Griffith’s care when officers found them to be living in a bug-infested home with no running water or electricity, police said. They were taken by the Department of Child Services and later adopted.

This story was originally published February 1, 2024 at 6:47 AM with the headline "Home where toddler got severe frostbite was 55 degrees inside, cops say. Mom arrested."