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Cloverdale woman accused of burning infant with cigarette
A Cloverdale woman who allegedly burned an infant with a cigarette is facing two felonies for her actions.
Harley Salyer, 22, was charged in Putnam Superior Court with Level 5 felony domestic battery resulting in bodily injury to a person less than 14 years of age and Level 6 felony neglect of a dependent.
If found guilty, she could be sentenced to as many as 7-1/2 years in prison.
Charges against Salyer and her ultimate arrest were the result of an investigation by the Indiana Department of Child Services and Detective Capt. Doug Nally of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed by Nally, DCS received a report of a one-month-old juvenile female with what appeared to be two cigarette burns on her back.
The DCS investigator conducted a home visit on Aug. 27, noting its “insanitary and repulsive” state, which included animal feces, trash, including dirty diapers lying about and a strong odor of urine.
Salyer granted the investigator permission to examine the marks on the back of the child, initially explaining one as a mark that had been on her back since birth and the other from the baby’s skin touching hot metal clasps of the child restraint system.
When confronted about the validity of the account, Salyer reportedly changed her story several times, naming several people she thought to be responsible, including family and an ex-boyfriend.
Salyer also confirmed to the investigator that no medical treatment was sought for the burn marks.
The investigator detained the child and transported her to the hospital for medical evaluation. Putnam County Hospital staff confirmed the two marks were first-degree thermal burns in various stages of healing.
The case was turned over to PCSO, with Nally contacting Salyer on Aug. 28. Salyer reportedly told the captain, “It’s OK, I’m signing custody over to my grandmother and moving back to Illinois.”
Nally explained that regardless of custody, there would be a criminal investigation.
On Aug. 31, Nally, along with fellow detectives Lt. Don Pettit and Matthew Biggs, interviewed Salyer at the sheriff’s office.
Nally reported that Salyer gave several different stories during the interview. However, when pressed, she said the most recent burn, which was estimated by hospital staff to have been two or three days old, had been inflicted by her.
According to court records, Salyer “was frustrated and meant to place the burning cigarette onto her arm but placed it into the back of” the child.
Salyer further said the first mark was inflicted by her ex-boyfriend during a dispute in which she revealed to him he was not the biological father. She confirmed that she did not report the crime and did not seek medical attention.
The information was turned over to the Putnam County Prosecutor’s Office, which filed the case on Sept. 15. A warrant was issued for Salyers’ arrest and she was taken into custody at the Putnam County Jail on Sept. 16.