INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: An Indiana woman named Sharon Key, 32, has been arrested by law enforcement following an incident in which she allegedly stabbed her infant niece in the neck.

This altercation unfolded when she pursued a dog that had consumed her chicken sandwich.

Key's violent outburst at Days Inn

Key was a guest at a Days Inn in Indianapolis on Tuesday, September 19, along with her niece, nephew, and sister.

During their stay, the family's pit bull snatched Key's Burger King meal and devoured it.

Allegedly driven to anger, she pursued the dog inside the hotel room, brandishing a knife, as outlined in court records.

Subsequently, she claimed that the dog leaped onto the bed where her one-year-old niece was resting. In an attempt to stab the famished canine, she missed and accidentally pierced the baby's neck.

The infant's mother, who was bathing her son in an adjacent bathroom, “loud noises from the bedroom so she walked out and saw that [Ms Key] was holding a knife in her hand and [her daughter] was bloody and screaming on the bed.”

Promptly, the mother dialed 911 and used a hotel towel to stem her daughter's stab wound. Law enforcement discovered Sharon Key hiding in nearby bushes outside the hotel.

The injured baby received treatment at Riley Children’s Hospital, where she required multiple stitches for her ear and neck wounds.

Baby recovers physically but may experience emotional trauma

While her condition was initially critical upon arrival, she has since stabilized. Tracy Griffin, the baby's grandfather, indicated that the one-year-old is expected to recover physically but may experience emotional trauma.

“I want her to be accountable for this,” said Tracy Griffin to WXIN. “My granddaughter will be scarred for the rest of her life.”

Key is now facing charges of criminal recklessness.

“It’s stupid, and at the same time, she’s a grown-up,” said Mr Griffin. “She should have known that baby was sitting right there. I want the book thrown at her.”

In addition to this incident, she has a prior legal history, having pleaded guilty in 2020 to stabbing another woman with a box cutter during a gas station altercation, as court records reveal.

Key's family has stated that she has grappled with substance abuse and mental health issues for years.

“This city needs to do better,” said Mr Griffin. “All they’re doing is slapping her on the wrist." If Sharon Key is convicted of Class B criminal recklessness, she may face up to 180 days in jail and fines of up to $1,000 under Indiana law.