A Lake County judge reduced a Gary woman’s bond Tuesday as a prosecutor said more serious charges could be filed.
Kylie E. Fugate, 23, of Gary’s Miller section, was charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a level 1 felony, according to recently unsealed court documents.
Her fiance, Joseph R. Pridemore, 32, of Lake Station, was charged with murder Nov. 24.
Her son, Keegan Fugate, 3, died Oct. 12., after being left in Pridemore’s care, while she worked her shift at a gas station, according to court documents.
Judge Samuel Cappas granted defense lawyer Lemuel Stigler’s motion for a bail reduction under Indiana Criminal Rule 26, which calls for pretrial release unless charged with murder or treason. Fugate had no prior criminal record, her lawyer said.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kasey Dafoe said there was a “high probability” Fugate could be charged with murder as the discovery process — legal fact-finding and evidence gathering — continued.
Fugate’s bond was reduced to $1,000 cash from $5,000. Her next court date is Jan. 25.
The autopsy report was “extremely difficult” to read, Dafoe said.
The child had a dislocated neck and internal bleeding, a lacerated liver and bruised organs, trauma to his lungs with several bruises from different times on his abdomen, face and head, according to an affidavit.
Fugate’s other two children, aged 1 and 2, are in foster care, lawyers said.
Gary Police were called Oct. 17 to Methodist Hospital Northlake in Gary after a child died with “suspicious bruising,” according to court documents.
Fugate’s behavior was “a little odd,” police wrote in charging documents. She appeared stoic when she peeked around hospital curtains at her son, but started crying uncontrollably when police looked at her, documents said.
She first told police Pridemore’s mother was watching the boy, but later admitted he watched the child in the hours before his death, according to court records. The child was eating a hamburger and seemed fine before she left for work at a gas station around 3 p.m.
By 5:30 p.m., Pridemore texted her several times that the child was vomiting and that he gave him fluids, broth and Tylenol, documents said.
Pridemore’s relative later told Fugate his mother wouldn’t lie to the police for her.
“Well, I’m screwed then,” she allegedly texted.
When Fugate got home from her shift hours later, the child was “breathing heavily,” but she didn’t call 911 until overnight when he vomited again and Pridemore said he stopped breathing and she saw the child was turning purple, the affidavit states.
