Mom indicted in death of boys trapped in trunk

NEW CARLISLE, Ind. – The mother of two young New Carlisle boys who died after being trapped for hours in the trunk of a car was indicted in connection with their deaths on Friday.

It was back on June 17, 2011, that Jacqueline Wilk found her two boys, 4-year-old Dominick Wilk and 2-year-old Isaac Dunner, in the trunk of her car.  Both boys had apparently been trapped for hours in the trunk on a day when temperatures reached up to 85-degrees.  Emergency crews were unable to save the two children.

“People still mention it every now and then, but it was such a tragic accident that it’s something that’s not going to go away for a long time,” explained Deborah Antonucci.  “My daughter lives in the house across the street now and we would see Jackie outside with the boys, riding in their cars and she was playing with them and seemed like a very loving mother.”

On Friday, nearly one year after the two boys died, Jacqueline Wilk was indicted on two felony counts of neglect of a dependent in connection with the death of her sons.  Prosecutors claim Wilk knowingly put the boys in danger and left them unsupervised, leading to them being trapped in the trunk.

The case has not been forgotten in New Carlisle, for the past year the lingering question has been whether Wilk would face charges.  Many were stunned to hear she was charged on Friday.

“I was a little surprised, as a parent…I can’t imagine anything worse than losing a child and poor Jackie lost two,” described Antonucci.  “I can’t imagine what she’s going through or her parents, the grandparents, it’s just very heartbreaking.”

Wilk turned herself in to police and then was released from the St. Joseph County Jail after posting $10,000 bond.  No word on when she’ll go to court.