ANDERSON, Ind. – A 23-month-old Indiana girl allegedly killed by her mother’s boyfriend was found wandering alone at an Indiana hotel restaurant two months before her death, according to WXIN.
Paisley Hudson’s mom was living with her kids and boyfriend at the Red Roof Inn in Anderson. One night in May, staff at the restaurant found Hudson inside the business by herself. The restaurant is two parking lots away from the motel.
“It was about 9:30ish when we were having our carpets cleaned up and the doors were wide open,” said Ricky Rosas, manager at the restaurant. “I just come out and there was a kid right there, with two teddy bears and no shoes, just walking in the building.”
Rosas said they all wanted to help Hudson.
“Everybody was shocked – the cooks, the servers,” Rosas said. “Everyone wanted to watch her to make sure she was okay. I didn’t know what to do. First thing that came to my mind was call the cops.”
Anderson police say an officer responded and did a thorough investigation. They say the child was covered in some lipstick but, according to police, she did not appear to have any visible injuries and there was “no evidence to support child neglect” at that time. So, Hudson was returned to her mom’s boyfriend, who police and Rosas say had been out looking for the child.
The Indiana Department of Child Services was not contacted that night about the incident.
Prior WXIN investigations revealed Hudson’s mother had previous contact with DCS due to concerns about her kids.
Two months later, 23-month-old Hudson was dead.
“That was devastating,” Rosas said about learning of the child’s death. “I mean it was just too much. Having seen that baby a couple months before and now she’s gone. So, I didn’t know what to say. I had no words. I know that I did my part by calling and turning the kid in and all of that. I thought all of that was going to be fine. That’s all I can say.”
The mother’s boyfriend, Ryan Ramirez, now faces charges for murder and reckless supervision by a childcare provider. Paisley’s mother, Kayla Hudson, is charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death and reckless supervision by a child care provider.
The Madison County coroner said Paisley died from multiple blunt force injuries and two liver lacerations that caused bleeding in her stomach. According to the coroner, Paisley had a skull fracture and too many bruises to count.
Anderson police say they decide whether or not to contact DCS based on whether an officer observes suspicious injuries on a child. A police department spokesperson said there were no such signs after Hudson was found alone at the restaurant.
The spokesperson also said officers cannot access the DCS database to see if there are any open agency investigations into a specific family.
