INDIANAPOLIS — Two Indianapolis parents are in jail accused of neglect resulting in death after a young child passed away on the near west side.

The investigation started when police were first called to a home on North Holmes in March and found a 4-month-old girl unresponsive.

Seven months later, the child’s parents are now accused of causing her death.

The couple were arrested last week before the criminal case was unsealed this week.

Prosecutors believe Iyari Washington died from malnutrition.

Officers who came to the victim’s home claim they found the girl emaciated with a swollen stomach.

The child passed away at Riley Hospital leading to charges of neglect resulting in death against her mother, 26-year-old Tiera Crute and her father, 30-year-old Daron Washington.

“You cannot say that’s neglect. You can’t. I’m going to fight this to the bitter end,” said the suspect’s mother, LaSharon Washington.

Several members of the victim’s family told me they don’t agree with the charges because Iyari had been born prematurely at 34 weeks and struggled to breathe her entire life.

“The doctors had already told them that the baby would not live to see a month,” said Washington. “So how can you say it’s neglect when you knew she had an issue, a health issue?”

According to court records, the two suspects gave conflicting stories about which one of them found the child failing to breathe the day she died.

Police said there were no baby bottles or formula inside the family’s home and the suspects had never sought medical care for the child after she was born.

Aside from being malnourished, doctors at Riley found no other injuries to the girl.

Despite the criminal charges, Iyari’s cause and manner of death remain undetermined.

“I just feel they were doing everything they could because they were good parents, so I feel everything that’s going on is wrong,” said Washington.

Both suspects remain behind bars at the Marion County Jail. Both are being held on $100,000 bonds.