Inset: Jacklyn J. Balabis, 26, and Parris D. Woods (Erie County DA’s Office). Background: The block where the mom and stepdad allegedly abused her 7-year-old son (Google Maps).
In a disturbing case from upstate New York, a young couple faces allegations of nearly causing the death of a 7-year-old boy. The accusations suggest that the woman, aged 26, and her 24-year-old spouse subjected the child to harsh punishment by making him endure a cold bath and repeatedly submerging him, actions which led to the boy developing hypothermia.
The individuals in question, Jacklyn J. Balabis and Parris D. Woods, were apprehended recently. Officials have charged them with multiple offenses, including two counts of first-degree assault, six counts of first-degree attempted assault, and six counts of reckless endangerment, as per statements from authorities.
The incident unfolded on the evening of December 11, 2025, when the Buffalo Police Department, along with the Fire Department and American Medical Response (AMR), responded to a distress call. The call concerned an unresponsive child at the couple’s residence on the 300 block of Parkdale Avenue, detailed in a release from the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
Upon arrival, emergency personnel discovered the child and rushed him to Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo by ambulance. The boy was hospitalized for treatment of hypothermia and additional injuries, according to the prosecutors.
Investigators assert that Balabis and Woods collaborated in inflicting severe physical harm on the child under their care by utilizing water as a dangerous tool. The release notes that the couple allegedly forced the young boy into a cold bath and submerged him as a form of punishment. Their actions are described as recklessly creating a substantial risk of death, demonstrating a depraved indifference to human life.
“The defendants allegedly forced the victim to take a cold bath and held the victim underwater as punishment,” the release states. “The defendants are accused of recklessly engaging in conduct, under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life, that created a grave risk of death to another person.”
Additionally, on at least two occasions in the month before the victim was hospitalized, the defendants are accused of knowingly acting in a way that was likely to cause physical or mental harm to the boy. Specifically, on Oct. 16, 2025, and on Dec. 11, 2025, the defendants are accused of “repeatedly punishing the victim by means of physical abuse, withholding food, forced exercise and cold showers.”
“These disturbing allegations involve physical abuse and the deliberate deprivation of basic needs,” Erie County District Attorney Mike Keane said in a statement. “No child should ever be subjected to this level of cruelty — especially by the hands of those entrusted with their care. This case demands accountability and we will prosecute the accused to the fullest extent of the law.”
During a Tuesday news briefing, Keane said that the victim had already made a “remarkable recovery” from the alleged abuse, local CBS affiliate WIVB reported.
Prosecutors’ request that Balabis and Woods be held without bond was granted, meaning they will remain incarcerated in the Erie County Jail. A judge also issued an order of protection.
The defendants are currently scheduled to return to court for a pretrial conference on March 5, records show. If convicted on the most serious charge, they are facing a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in a state correctional facility.
A third defendant, 20-year-old Cassandra Baughman, was previously indicted for her alleged role in abusing the victim on Dec. 11, 2025. She is charged with one count of first-degree assault and one count of first-degree reckless endangerment, records show.
