Police Reveal Heartbreaking Case: Wheelchair-Bound 4-Year-Old Confined to Basement Closet by Mother Before Tragic Death

In a tragic incident in Indiana, a 4-year-old boy, unable to walk, talk, or feed himself, was discovered dead in a disorderly basement closet, allegedly kept there by his mother and her partner, leading to serious charges against the pair.

Angel Lovely, 37, and Nicholas Bergdoll, 36, are each charged with neglect of a dependent causing death, as revealed by court documents concerning the case of young Malichi Lovely.

At 4:25 p.m. on March 23, officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were dispatched to a residence on Monticello Drive following a report of an unresponsive child. Upon their arrival, they witnessed Lovely attempting CPR on Malichi, who showed no signs of life. This was detailed in a report by The Indianapolis Star.

Emergency medical teams rushed Malichi to Riley Children’s Health, where he was declared dead soon after arrival.

The Marion County Coroner’s Office has yet to determine the precise cause and manner of Malichi’s death, as mentioned in a report from local Fox affiliate WXIN reported.

Court documents obtained by the Star describe the condition of the basement where Malichi was found as filled with “Christmas stuff,” where he “often slept” and was “often kept.”

The boy’s three older siblings told investigators that “he is trapped in the little room” and that their mother “keeps him in the closet and does not pay attention to him,” court records state.

Malichi, who had extensive medical needs, including cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus, was found unresponsive in the closet with blood on his mouth, shirt, pillow, and blanket, according to court documents cited by the Star.

Investigators said the boy had been placed in the closet the night before his death. One sibling reported hearing gagging noises coming from inside that morning before leaving for school, but the mother later told police she was not aware.

A daughter who returned home later that day told detectives she opened the closet door and saw blood coming from Malichi’s mouth, his eyes rolled back.

Bergdoll reportedly told investigators he had only been in a relationship with the boy’s mother for a few months and said, “I’m not going to tell her how to f—in’ raise her kids.”  He also claimed he was asleep in the basement and did not know the child was choking or in distress.

Lovely told police she would sometimes put the boy in the closet when he would not stop screaming, claiming she would “wheel him in, leave the door cracked, and take a few minutes to just breathe,” according to court records.

The investigation also revealed the boy had a history of severe medical issues and had previously been noted as underweight and suffering from malnutrition, according to court records. He had briefly been removed from his mother’s care in 2024 amid allegations of medical neglect before custody was later restored.

Lovely and Bergdoll remain held in the Marion County Jail. Their next court appearance is scheduled for March 30.