A maintenance worker had gotten into the apartment to fix the heat and found the only food the children had was ice cream and Pepsi, police said. They were wearing coats, but shivering, according to the sheriff's department.
A police officer responded to the Tiberon Trails apartment complex in the 1200-block of West 52nd Drive in Merrillville and found the 5 and 6 year old had been there from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., officials said.
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Their mother had gone to work at a local grocery store, according to police.
Family members are now taking care of the kids.
Their mother, 44, was arrested on pending criminal charges of neglect of a dependent.
The Indiana Department of Child Services is investigating.