Before she was charged Thursday with the neglect of her baby daughter which led to the child’s death, a Valparaiso woman was convicted last year for cruelty to an animal after leaving her dog “Blue” in a garage for a week with little food and water while she was in North Carolina.
Hannah M. Evans and her boyfriend Grant Stevens, who are both 30 and shared an apartment on Concord Square Drive in Valparaiso, made their initial appearance in Porter Superior Court 2 by video feed from the Porter County Jail Monday.
The couple is charged for their lack of care for Evans’ 6-month-old daughter, who died on Oct. 31, 2025, in Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Two days before, the couple had failed to call 911 when their child showed signs of breathing distress and took 30 minutes to drive to Northwest Medical – Porter because they stopped to buy an energy drink and snacks.
Dr. Veena Ramaiah, a child abuse expert at Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, stated the child was in septic shock and possibly could have been dying on the way to the hospital. Ramaiah concluded that there was “no medical explanation” for the child’s injuries other than abuse.
The Cook County Examiner’s office in December confirmed that the child’s death was a homicide, as the autopsy found several broken ribs in various healing stages, the court record shows.
Stevens is charged with aggravated battery and two counts of neglect of a dependent. His charges accuse him of a pattern of causing the baby’s injuries during her six-month lifespan, along with neglecting her medical care.
The neglect of a dependent charge against Evans accuses her of depriving her child of necessary medical care that could have saved her life.
On the morning of March 28, 2024, Evans was charged with cruelty to an animal after a Porter County Sheriff’s officer came to her residence to investigate the report of a dog being left in a garage at a Valparaiso residence.
When confronted that morning, Evans admitted to the officer that she had left her dog Blue in the garage for a week while she traveled to North Carolina.
The Porter County Sheriff’s officer signed a court affidavit, which stated that Blue appeared to have injured her rear legs and couldn’t properly walk without dragging them. The garage floor was entirely covered with dog feces and urine.
Evans spent four days in the Porter County Jail. Eventually, she pleaded guilty on Jan. 28, 2025, to the misdemeanor charge of cruelty to an animal.
Judge Michael Drenth of Porter Superior Court 3 sentenced her to an additional four days in jail, ordered her to pay court costs, put her on six months probation, and ordered psychological and mental health treatment.
At the time of her plea, Evans was pregnant with her daughter.
Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer on Monday followed the recommendation of the prosecutor’s office as he set bond for Evans and Stevens at $100,000 cash apiece.
Clymer also appointed public defenders for the couple because they couldn’t afford to hire counsel.
Their next hearing is scheduled for July 15, and a trial date was set for Oct. 19.
More Top Picks Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.