GREENFIELD, IN – Emergency crews responded to a chilling scene in Greenfield after a toddler, dressed only in a diaper, was spotted wandering outside in frigid conditions. The temperature hovered at a dangerously low 13 degrees as police were called to the Prairie Meadows Apartment Homes, located on the eastern outskirts of the Indianapolis metropolitan area, early Monday afternoon.

A resident first alerted authorities after hearing a child’s cries from outside, prompting her to discover a two-year-old alone in the snow. According to law enforcement, the toddler’s exposed skin was bright red from the cold, showing clear signs of frostbite. Officers arrived quickly, wrapping the child in a coat before placing them in a warm patrol car while waiting for medical help.

Investigators traced small footprints through the snow for approximately 750 feet, leading them directly to an apartment unit with its front door left wide open. After knocking and calling out with no response, police entered the apartment.

Inside, officers found Logan Nickolas, 20, asleep on the couch. It took several loud attempts before Nickolas awoke. He identified himself as the child’s father and said the boy belonged in the apartment, but authorities quickly observed signs of neglect and potential drug use throughout the home.

According to the police report, the smell of burnt marijuana hung in the air. Officers also noted an unlatched baby gate at the top of the stairs and a handgun left on a kitchen countertop next to a plate with a cut straw, which police said could indicate drug paraphernalia use.

Nickolas told officers he had not taken any drugs and claimed exhaustion from working late shifts had caused him to doze off while caring for his son. However, subsequent interviews with the child’s mother contradicted his account. She reported to law enforcement that Nickolas had recently used marijuana, cocaine, and other drugs, citing her difficulty reaching him by phone the day of the incident. The mother stated she was at work but had permitted Nickolas to stay sporadically at her apartment for the past week.

The injured child was transported to a nearby hospital, where doctors diagnosed severe hypothermia and frostbite. Medical personnel said the toddler was in stable condition following treatment.

Nickolas faces charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, as well as neglect where a dependent is placed in a dangerous situation.

Neighbors expressed concern and disbelief over the incident, recalling the shock of seeing a child so exposed to the elements. “No pants, no shoes – just a diaper,” one resident said. “If I can’t feel my fingers or toes in that cold, I know that baby couldn’t either.”

The case remains under investigation as authorities continue reviewing the circumstances that led to the child’s exposure and evaluating the safety conditions within the family’s home.