A 4-year-old Indianapolis boy with multiple serious medical conditions who could not walk, talk, or feed himself was found unresponsive and died shortly after being rushed to Riley Children's Health in Indianapolis, police said.
Background
Malichi Lovely had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, congenital hypertonia, hip dysplasia, spastic quadriplegia, epilepsy, aphagia, hearing loss, skin disorders, gastroenteritis, colitis, insomnia, GERD, hydrocephalus, and sleep apnea. The wheelchair-bound boy required constant care and assistance with all daily activities.
Indianapolis Police were called to the scene just before 4:30 p.m. on Monday by Angel Lovely's boyfriend, Nicholas Bergdoll, according to the Indianapolis Star.
A probable cause statement said Malichi had been rolled into a closet beneath the basement stairs the night before his death. Lovely told police he was awake around 9 a.m. that morning as she got her other children off for school.
One of those children told detectives he heard Malichi gagging before he left for school, but Lovely said the child didn't tell her about it.
After getting the children away, Lovely fell asleep around 10 a.m. and slept until one of her daughters came home from school in the afternoon.
When she woke up from her day-long nap, she told the girl to go talk to Malichi — something the girl said she did frequently anyway to keep him from crying because 'he thought he was alone.'
The girl went down to the basement, opened the closet door, and turned on the light. She immediately saw blood coming from Malichi's mouth and his eyes rolled back.
Malichi's three older siblings told investigators that he was frequently put in the basement closet. 'He's trapped in the little room,' one child said. 'Mom does not take care of [him] as much.'
The case has a prior history with child welfare services. In 2024, Malichi was listed as 'failure to thrive' and temporarily removed from Lovely's custody and placed into foster care. At that time, she was accused of missing her son's medical appointments. A year later, she was granted full custody again, against the advisement of the Department of Child Services.
The Charges
Angel Lovely, 37, and Nicholas Bergdoll, 36, have both been charged with neglect resulting in death, a Level 3 felony in Indiana.
Bergdoll told police he was in the basement while Malichi was in the closet — also sleeping — and hadn't heard any choking or gagging. He said he didn't know how long the child had been in the closet.
Lovely told police that she only ever put him in the closet for a few minutes when he would scream and then take him back out again. She did not explain why he'd been there all day while she slept.
Both defendants denied neglecting the boy. Bergdoll told investigators they'd only been together a few months and he was 'not going to tell her how to f****** raise her kids.'
Lovely said Malichi frequently had insomnia and would stay awake for days, making him an 'overall cranky child.' She blamed a hospital when he was listed as 'failure to thrive' in 2024.
Both Lovely and Bergdoll denied keeping Malichi in the closet 'all the time.'
Key Takeaways
- Malichi Lovely, 4, had 14 documented medical conditions including cerebral palsy, spastic quadriplegia, and epilepsy
- The child was found unresponsive with blood coming from his mouth in a basement closet
- Mother Angel Lovely, 37, and boyfriend Nicholas Bergdoll, 36, charged with neglect resulting in death
- Child had prior DCF involvement; was temporarily removed from custody in 2024
- Mother regained full custody against DCS advisement one year later
- Three older siblings told investigators Malichi was frequently kept in the basement closet
What's Next
Both defendants are due in court on Monday. The Marion County Prosecutor's Office will review the evidence presented in the probable cause affidavit to determine if additional charges are warranted.
The Indiana Department of Child Services is likely to investigate the welfare of Malichi's three older siblings, who remain in the home.