Colored Welfare Baby Breeder 23-year-old Diamond Lewis found murdered in an abandoned house - Her meal ticket welfare check baby was found safe

GARY — A woman’s body was found in the basement of an abandoned house Thursday night after a person contacted Gary police with information about the location of a female, officials said.

Police from Merrillville, Gary’s Violent Crimes Unit and the Lake County Metro Homicide Unit were on the scene along with Lake County crime scene and coroner’s investigators.

The person, described as a “verified source,” first contacted Gary police about 4 p.m. about the female, Lt. Dawn Westerfield said.

Police from the different agencies then went to the abandoned home in the 1400 block of West 18th Avenue and located the body. No information about the condition of the body would be released Thursday night, Westerfield said.

Garbage lined the street in front of the house where the body was found, and much of the block was dark and wooded. A Gary firetruck was parked in front of the house to provide electricity for the lights investigators were using inside the house.

The woman’s identity could not be established Thursday night, police said.

Merrillville police have been searching for a missing mother, 23-year-old Diamond Lewis, since Saturday.

Lewis and her 23-year-old Diamond Lewis, were reported missing by Lewis’ father, who had not spoken to Lewis since April 11. Merrillville police said the baby was found safe earlier this week in Gary.

Anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact Detective Alexander Jones of the Lake County Metro Homicide Unit at (219) 755-3855, Detective Nathaniel Dillahaunty at (219) 769-3531 ext. 364, Cmdr. Robert Wiley at (219) 769-3531 ext. 345 or Cmdr. Jeff Rice at (219) 769-3531 ext. 360 all of Merrillville Police Department.