A 26-year-old Indiana woman was arrested and charged Friday after the body of a 5-year-old girl was recovered from the Wabash River in Vincennes.
A 911 caller triggered a massive search for the girl Thursday afternoon after reporting that she vanished while playing near the river at Kimmell Park in Knox County.
It took dive teams and searchers from multiple agencies more than five hours to locate the missing girl’s body near a boat ramp at the park.
Authorities charged the girl’s stepmother with a preliminary count of neglect in connection to the tragic incident.
“We felt there was enough evidence to show the child was in her care at the time, and the child was put in a situation that endangered her life or health,” the Department of Natural Resources said through Officer Joe Haywood.
The Knox County Prosecutor’s office is considering more charges in connection to the incident.
