Main: Hylin Volpatti (Clay County Judicial Center). Inset: Nova Bryant (WRTV).
A 25-year-old Indiana mother was arrested five months later after allegedly leaving her 21-month-old special needs foster son in a bathtub, causing her to drown. Haylin Volpatti was taken into custody last week and charged with one count of felony abandonment of a dependent resulting in the drowning death of infant Nova Bryant in May 2024, records reviewed by Law & Crime show revealed.
The incident occurred on May 21, 2024, while the victim was in Volpatti’s sole care, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by NBC affiliate WTHR in Indianapolis. Volpatti’s husband was reportedly at work at the time.
On the evening of May 21, troopers from Brazil and Indiana State Police responded to Volpatti’s home in an apartment complex in the 400 block of Franklin Court, about 110 miles west of Indianapolis. Once on scene, first responders immediately began life-saving measures on Nova and were able to obtain “a faint pulse” from the girl.
Emergency medical personnel transported Nova to the hospital for treatment. Due to the severity of her symptoms, Nova was taken to Riley Hospital in Indianapolis for more specialized treatment. Unfortunately, the child became unwell and was pronounced dead on June 16, 2024.
A police affidavit said Volpatti initially said he put Nova in the bathtub with his two 4-year-old sons while he went out to get a drink. Volpatti said that when he returned to the bathroom, Nova was unresponsive and floating on his back in the water.
Volpatti claimed that when giving the toddler a bath, Nova “always stuck her face in the water and ‘guzzled’ large amounts of water,” police wrote.
Nova was born prematurely at 32 weeks and reportedly had multiple health issues. The affidavit states that her medical history includes “chronic eating disorders, vomiting, gastrostomy tube addiction, global growth retardation, history of gastroschisis, history of prematurity, moderate malnutrition, intestinal motility disorders, These included “oropharyngeal dysphagia, short stature, and spinal asymmetry.”
Terre Haute NBC affiliate WTWO reported that two days after the incident, Volpatti visited the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and asked to speak with one of the investigators about the incident. When Volpatti met with detectives, he reportedly admitted that he had not been “totally honest” with police in his previous statements.
After putting the children in the bathtub around 8:30 p.m., Volpatti went upstairs to get the victim’s pajamas and left for about five minutes before hearing one of her sons screaming. , reportedly explained that Ms. Nova was found floating in the bathtub. .
However, during the course of the conversation, Ms Volpatti revealed that she was actually on the phone with a friend from 8:30pm to 10pm and that she left the victim alone for over 30 minutes while he was on the phone upstairs. He is said to have revealed, “I was doing it.” bedroom. ”
Mr. Volpatti made his first appearance in Clay County Court on October 25 and was ordered held on $75,000 bail.
Nova’s biological parents, Serena Conkright and Kevin Bryant, told Indianapolis ABC affiliate WRTV that they hope Volpatti goes to prison for neglecting their daughter. .
“I hope Nova gets the justice she deserves. She deserves justice…I want her to serve her time,” Conkright told the station about Volpatti. Ta. “She shouldn’t have had my daughter in the first place, but she shouldn’t have left the room. That’s parenting 101.”
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