A heartbreaking case out of Indiana has led to criminal charges after a 3-month-old baby girl was killed by a pit bull inside her family’s home.

According to investigators, Zaelynn Grove was asleep in her parents’ bedroom on April 3, 2025, when one of two pit bulls living in the home attacked and fatally mauled her.

Authorities say the infant’s mother, Paitlyn Grove, was in the kitchen making dinner while talking on the phone with her grandmother when she heard the baby crying, followed by barking from the dog.

Court documents state she waited several minutes before checking on her daughter. When she entered the bedroom, she found the infant dead.

Investigators later discovered multiple safety failures inside the home. The bedroom door reportedly could not fully close because it lacked a functioning doorknob, and the gates meant to keep the dogs separated were unsecured and easily movable.

Police also learned the dog involved in the attack — a pit bull named Simba owned by basement resident Todd Banks — had previously shown concerning behavior around the baby. Family members admitted the dog had tried to grab blankets from the infant before and would approach her whenever she cried.

Detectives say Todd Banks could even be heard on the 911 call saying, “I knew she would do it,” allegedly referring to the dog involved in the attack.

More than a year after the tragedy, prosecutors charged both Paitlyn Grove and Todd Banks with reckless homicide. If convicted, they could each face prison time.

Following the attack, the dog Simba was euthanized, while the second pit bull was returned to Banks.