Maintenance workers find boy, 4, alone in apartment with grandmother who died two days ago

A 4-year-old boy was alone inside an apartment for two days after his grandmother died, according to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Maintenance workers at The Summerwood on Towne Line Apartments on the city's northwest side found the boy and grandmother Thursday morning while visiting the apartment in the 2600 block of Baneberry Lane to fix a window.

The news came as a shock to neighbors and managerial staff of the apartment complex.

Police did not reveal the name or age of the grandmother. Her cause of death is under investigation.

"I had just seen her a few days ago," said Tucker Neff, one of the woman's neighbors.

Her neighbors didn't notice anything out of the ordinary and never heard the boy cry for help.

According to a representative with the apartment complex, the woman had recently filed a maintenance request to fix an issue with one of her windows.

Early Thursday morning, the front office attempted to get ahold of the woman via a phone call, but after several unsuccessful attempts decided to send the maintenance workers inside.

While the workers were addressing the issue, they suddenly saw a little boy walk out of a room. At first, the workers assumed the boy had been left at home by himself, but after exploring the apartment, they discovered the grandmother dead in her bed, according to a representative from the apartment complex.

Emergency services were called in hopes of saving the woman's life, but she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Emergency medical personnel took the boy to Riley Hospital for Children to get checked for any injuries.

When asked about the condition of the child, police said he was OK, but the Department of Child Services will be determining the boy's fate.

"She was so sweet and nice with every interaction we had," Neff said.

Contact IndyStar reporter Noe Padilla at npadilla@indystar.com or follow him on X @1NoePadilla.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Boy, 4, found alone in Indiana apartment 2 days after caregiver died