A 29-year-old woman is facing charges of neglect of a dependent and criminal recklessness after boarding Bloomington Transit with a child inside a suitcase.
According to police records, Ashley Gibson of Bloomington boarded the bus with the child inside the suitcase at a stop on South Curry Pike around 1:43 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2024.
The bus driver pulled over and contacted police after Gibson said she had a baby in the suitcase. About a minute after the call was placed, footage from the bus showed Gibson taking the child out of the suitcase, nearly 18 minutes after boarding.
Gibson told the responding officer that the child was 2 years old, and she put him in the suitcase to keep him warm.
The officer noted that the child was appropriately dressed for the cold weather. When the officer asked why the child was in the suitcase, she said her family caseworker told her it was OK.
Gibson is out of jail under the condition that she comply with the Department of Child Services. The Monroe Circuit court has scheduled a jury trial in April.
