Indiana Babysitter Gets 6 Years for Abuse of 4-Year-Old Boy

A Northwest Indiana babysitter will serve six years in prison for her part in the abuse of a toddler.

The six-year sentence handed down to Angela Terrell, 44, however, was not enough for the boy’s father, Joe Lozano Jr., even though Terrell’s April 19 plea agreement requires her to testify against his estranged wife, Elizabeth Lozano, 25, Valparaiso, in her Oct. 27 abuse trial.

Terrell has already served 279 days, and with good time credit cutting the sentence in half, she could be out in about a year-and-a-half, Joe Lozano Jr. said after the sentencing.

Porter Superior Judge Mary Harper also seemed unhappy with the April 19 plea agreement for what she called “horrific acts.”

Terrell originally faced up to 20 years in prison for Class B felony neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, but she pleaded guilty to that as a lesser Class D felony along with D felony battery to a child under 14.

“If this had remained the original charge, I would not have had any issue sending you to prison for a long, long time,” Harper said.

She added it was a lucky break that the Lake County Court Appointed Special Advocate saw the bruises on the boy’s face on Oct. 23, 2013, and acted, so he got to the Intensive Care Unit at Riley Hospital for Children for bleeding on the brain.

Terrell and Elizabeth Lozano are accused of beating the boy with a belt and a wooden spoon, which police recovered from the McCord Road apartment complex’s garbage, and depriving him of food, water, clothing and sleep.

Joe Lozano said the abuse happened after his estranged wife kicked him out in September 2013.

Much of what the two women did they logged as seven pages of text messages to each other.

The mother frequently only allowed him to eat oatmeal from a bowl on the floor while on his hands and knees because he had urination “accidents.”

“(If) he was going to act like a dog, then he was going to be treated like a dog,” Terrell told police.

On Oct. 21, 2013, at Terrell’s home, the boy asked to use the bathroom, then admitted he only wanted water.

Because he lied and Terrell believed he was going to “steal” a drink, she put him in the corner, which along with swats, was his mother’s usual punishment for such things, Terrell told police.

She said the boy threw a tantrum and fell down the stairs, but despite a mark on his face and a bright red ear, Terrell didn’t seek medical evaluation.

His mother had beaten him “until he was a bloody mess” just days after his 4th birthday, and she didn’t want to get Elizabeth Lozano in trouble.

Elizabeth Lozano denied to police that she knew where burns on his arms came from.

The victim’s father said the boy’s better physically but still has behavior issues.

His brother, 2 at the time, and sister, who was 5, didn’t appear to suffer physical abuse.

Elizabeth Lozano’s has a Sept. 16 status hearing in court.

She faces up to 20 years in prison on each of two Class B felonies: battery causing serious bodily injury to a victim less than 14 years old and neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury.