MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – The parents of a 3-year-old girl with autism who died in May have been charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death.
eOn the morning of May 12, 2022 the LaPorte County Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call in reference to a 3 year old autistic child, Ivey Allen, who had wandered away from her residence in the 400 block of Long Beach Lane, and was missing.
A search for Ivy began immediately following the call. The Michigan City Police Department Uniformed Patrol Division, Investigative Division, Traffic Division, Michigan City Fire Department, Long Beach Police Department, Department of Natural Resources, Porter County Search and Rescue and area residents all joined together during the search. Ivy was located unresponsive in Lake Clare, which is a short distance from her home. Life saving measures were started by the first responders on scene and those efforts continued during transport to Franciscan Hospital, by EMS. Emergency room medical professionals took over, but they were unable to revive her.
After an investigation, criminal charges were filed against the parents of Allen, 33-year old Breanne Smith and 35-year-old Andrew Allen. Arrest warrants were issued charging Smith and Allen with neglect of a dependent resulting in death. Both Smith and Allen were located locally on February 15, 2023 and taken into custody. Bond was set for each at $100,000 cash only.
The Michigan City Police Department are asking anyone with information about this case to please contact Lt. Painter at (219) 874-3221 Ext. 1077 or by email at apainter@emichigancity.com. Police are also reminding the public that you can contact them via Facebook Messenger, through their crime tip hotline number of 219-873-1488, or you can also call the WeTip Hotline for General Crime (800) 78-CRIME and possibly receive a reward upon an arrest and conviction. All WeTip call information is sent directly to the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office. You can always request to remain anonymous.