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An Ohio woman and her boyfriend have been charged with child abuse after a 9-year-old boy was found weighing just 30 pounds earlier this month.
Angel Holland and Aaron Stalling face three charges each of felonious assault and child endangerment concerning a 9-year-old boy and two other children aged 8 and 6, as noted by the Cincinnati Enquirer. Court documents identify Holland as the legal guardian of the 9-year-old since 2020.
Authorities from Elmwood Place, a small village encircled by Cincinnati, responded to a residence on September 13 after receiving a call about an unresponsive child. They discovered the 9-year-old in cardiac arrest, revived him, and transported him to Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
That’s where staff found the child weighed only 30 pounds, was severely malnourished, and had a core body temperature of 80 degrees.
Holland informed the investigators that the boy had complained of a stomach ache three days before and had a recent fall, but she hadn’t sought medical assistance. On the day the boy became unresponsive, she admitted to hearing him experiencing breathing difficulties but was “preoccupied with another child.”
When told the child’s weight and that he was severely malnourished, she told investigators, “We feed him.”
Investigations revealed that the boy “exhibited signs of physical abuse” and that the other two children also showed signs of malnutrition, necessitating hospitalization for their care.
Police obtained a search warrant for the residence, uncovering “multiple evidentiary items, such as bungee cords, a belt, and soiled towels found in a vehicle registered to Ms. Holland,” according to an affidavit.
The judge set bail for each at $600,000, issuing orders for them to avoid contact with the children if released. They are also required to remain home under electronic monitoring.
According to WXIX, the 9-year-old boy remains hospitalized and is still fighting for his life. Ronald Sanders, the children’s grandfather, told the station the other two children are severely underweight but are going to survive. He said he had not visited the boy in person since his hospitalization.
“I have seen a picture of him and it was literally the most horrific, disturbing thing I have ever seen in my life,” Sanders said.
Prosecutors plan to take the case to a grand jury on October 3.
