INDIANAPOLIS – An Indiana woman is facing homicide and child neglect charges after prosecutors said she accidentally shot her boyfriend while her children were left home alone.
Tonika Miller is charged with reckless homicide and two counts of neglect of a dependent, according to court records.
Police said Miller had been in a relationship with Dashawn Roscoe for about five years, and the two shared two children, ages 3 and 9 months, WXIN reported.
Miller allegedly told police that after the children were put to bed, Roscoe suggested going to a playground in an apartment complex down the street from their apartment to have sex, WISH-TV reported. The pair then allegedly left to go to the playground, leaving the children home alone.
When police asked Miller about leaving the children home alone, she said, “they didn’t feel like it was that far away,” and “they would not be gone for very long,” according to the affidavit obtained by the Indianapolis Star.
At the playground, Miller said the couple got into an argument, and she returned to their apartment, WISH-TV reported. Miller then left again to go find Roscoe, finding him in front of the leasing office and community room.
Court documents obtained by WISH-TV said that surveillance video showed Roscoe shoving Miller before she pushed Roscoe and hit him while holding a gun. Police said the video then showed Roscoe immediately dropping to the ground.
Police told WXIN that surveillance video showed Miller applying pressure to Roscoe’s injury and staying with his body until police arrived.
Police told the Indianapolis Star that they found the gun, registered to Miller, as well as one shell casing next to Roscoe’s body.
