Missouri couple blame pot for starving 1-year-old: Police
Share this @internewscast.com

CARTHAGE, Mo. A Carthage, Missouri, couple is charged with abusing and starving their 1-year-old son.

Braxton Blevins and Emily Katz are each charged with one count of child abuse and one count of child endangerment.

On March 1, Carthage police were contacted by Children’s Mercy Hospital about a 1-year-old boy who was admitted for severe malnutrition, starvation, recurrent infections and failure to thrive. Hospital officials told police the boy had been hospitalized multiple times since birth for similar conditions.

Doctors said they had worked with Blevins and Katz on a feeding plan at home. The couple told police they were following that plan, but officers say they found 10 to 20 days’ worth of the baby’s food in the refrigerator, unused.

Hospital officials say medical scans showed the baby had missed multiple feedings. He remains hospitalized.

Police say when they interviewed the couple, they admitted to missing feedings and not properly caring for the baby’s central line and GI tube. According to court records, Blevins, the baby’s father, told police he knew they had missed feedings and blamed it on smoking marijuana and falling asleep.

Police say Blevins confirmed that during the 94 days the child was in his custody, he lost about 5 1/2 pounds. Doctors reportedly told officials the child “consistently gained weight when hospitalized and cared for by medical staff.”

Blevins reportedly admitted he couldn’t take care of the baby’s medical needs, but was worried about losing rights to their other child if they sought assistance. Katz stopped talking to police once she was advised of the charges against her, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Both Katz and Blevins are out on bond and ordered to have no contact with anyone under the age of 18. They’re scheduled to be in court at the end of May.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

AT&T Reaches $177M Settlement Over Data Breaches: Key Information You Need to Know

If you were affected by two significant data breaches involving AT&T customers,…

Mass Chorus Gathering Celebrates Estonia’s Rich Cultural Heritage

TALLINN – Over 21,000 choir singers filled the rainy air with their…

Eight Men Deported to South Sudan by US After Lengthy Legal Disputes

WASHINGTON (AP) — In May, eight men were deported from the United…

Tropical Storm Chantal Expected to Drench the Carolinas with Heavy Rain

Tropical Storm Chantal has developed off the southeastern coast of the U.S.…

Flash Floods in Texas Highlight Their Status as Leading Cause of Storm-Related Deaths in the U.S.

(AP) – The devastating and rapidly moving flood that surged through the…

Could You Be Vulnerable to a Social Engineering Attack?

(NEXSTAR) – The Federal Bureau of Investigations issued a warning on Friday…

Environmentalists and Democrats Voice Concerns About Alligator Alcatraz

A team of environmental advocates from Florida has initiated a federal lawsuit…

Devastating Flash Floods in Central Texas: What Made Them So Severe?

AUSTIN (KXAN) – In the overnight hours of July 3 and 4,…

VIDEO: Fireworks mishap at Boone Lake leaves 2 injured

SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A fireworks incident at the Boone Lake…

Scenes and Sounds from Champaign County’s Annual Freedom Celebration

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — For yet another year, it was all about…

Worldwide Backing as Dalai Lama Celebrates 90th Birthday Amidst Challenges with China

The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama, marked his 90th…

Elon Musk Unveils New Political Group, the ‘America Party’

Tech billionaire Elon Musk said Saturday he has officially formed the “America…