The case against two Valparaiso parents links alleged abuse, delayed treatment and medical findings from two hospitals.
VALPARAISO, Ind. — Prosecutors charged two Porter County parents after police said their 6-month-old daughter suffered fatal injuries, missed urgent medical care and died three days after being taken to hospitals in Indiana and Chicago.
Grant Ethan Stevens and Hannah Marie Evans, both 30, are accused in a case that moved from an apartment investigation to a homicide ruling. Stevens is charged with one count of aggravated battery and two counts of neglect of a dependent. Evans is charged with one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in death. The charges are allegations, and the case remains pending.
The charging picture begins with the child’s care on Oct. 28, 2025. Evans told authorities she wanted a break and left the infant with Stevens for about two hours. Stevens later told a Department of Child Services investigator that he was feeding the baby when mucus and vomit came from her nose and mouth. He said he panicked, tried back blows and CPR, and believed the baby’s breathing had improved. He did not alert Evans at once, he said, even though he noticed wheezing. Police said that account did not explain the injuries later found by doctors.
Evans told police she was apart from Stevens and the infant during the key period. She said she wore noise-canceling headphones and played a handheld video game in another room. She heard several loud smacking sounds, checked on them and saw vomit on Stevens’ shirt, investigators said. She accepted his explanation and returned to her game. Later, after the couple went to bed, Evans said she felt something was wrong because the baby missed a normal 1:30 a.m. feeding. She told authorities she planned to wait until morning before seeking care if the concern continued.
The next morning, investigators said, Stevens found the child cold to the touch and seemingly lifeless around 6 a.m. The parents chose to drive to Northwest Health in Porter instead of calling 911. They said they thought driving would be faster. Police said the decision was followed by a detour to a Family Express gas station in the opposite direction from the hospital. Investigators said the couple stopped to buy a Red Bull energy drink, cigarettes and a candy bar. The trip took about 30 minutes. Evans told police that Stevens insisted on stopping and that she was upset.
Hospital findings became the backbone of the criminal case. At Northwest Health, doctors found a traumatic perforated bowel and an older fractured rib. The child was moved to University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital, where a child abuse expert said she was in septic shock from infection and likely was dying during the drive. The expert said the delay at the gas station worsened the child’s condition and that there was no medical explanation for the catastrophic trauma other than physical abuse. The baby died Oct. 31, 2025.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide caused by multiple injuries. The office found several broken ribs in different stages of healing. Those findings broadened the case from a single emergency to alleged repeated harm. Police said Stevens had physically abused the infant during her short life. Evans told authorities about earlier concerns, including an incident in which the baby had abdominal bruising after striking a coffee table while Stevens was caring for her. She also said Stevens had used abusive language toward the child.
The legal stakes differ for the two defendants. The aggravated battery charge against Stevens points to alleged violent injury. The neglect counts against him and Evans point to care decisions before and after the medical crisis. Evans’ count is tied to the death. Prosecutors will need to connect the evidence to each charge in court, including medical opinions, the parents’ statements, the route to the hospital and the time between the first signs of distress and emergency treatment. Defense attorneys, once identified in the public record, may challenge the timing, causation or interpretation of the medical findings.
Some facts remain unresolved in public reports. The child’s name was not released in the accounts reviewed for this story. It was not immediately clear when the next court appearance was scheduled. The reports also did not identify attorneys for Stevens or Evans. Public access to Indiana court records is available through state and county systems, though not every document is posted online and some filings may require a request through the clerk’s office. Any final findings of guilt or innocence will come through the court process.
The case has drawn attention because of the alleged gas station stop, but the prosecution is expected to rest on a wider record. That record includes the missed feeding, the 6 a.m. discovery, the choice not to call an ambulance, the 30-minute hospital trip, the older rib injuries and the homicide ruling. Each piece is likely to be measured against the parents’ accounts of what happened inside the apartment and during the drive.
As of June 16, 2026, Stevens and Evans face felony charges in connection with the infant’s death. The next milestone is the court schedule in Porter County, where prosecutors and defense lawyers are expected to address filings, evidence and future hearing dates.
Author note: Last updated June 16, 2026.