Parents charged in death of malnourished 18-month-old boy
1/8/2013SANDUSKY, Ohio — The parents and a grandmother of a malnourished 18-month-old disabled boy have been charged in his death and for poor care provided to five siblings, most of whom also were malnourished and undersized for their ages.
The indictment was unsealed late Monday against Adrienne Bartholomew, 35, and James Brothers, 33, and a grandmother who was caring for the children, Debra Nelson, 62, all of Vermilion.
Each was charged with counts including involuntary manslaughter in the death of Isaac Brothers-Bartholomew, and child endangerment involving five of his six siblings. The parents were named in a 12-count indictment and the grandmother in a 13-count indictment.
The three were arrested Monday and jailed on bonds of more than a quarter-million dollars each.
It wasn't clear today if any of the three have attorneys. The parents didn't respond to Associated Press interview requests last fall at the time of the boy's death.
The autopsy blamed the death on malnourishment and dehydration.
The boy was found dead in the home after the mother called 911 to report he was unresponsive and “stiff as a board.”
After the baby died in November, authorities removed six other children from the home, most of them had disabilities and were malnourished. A 6-year-old weighed 23 pounds, about half the average 40- to 50-pound weight for that age. The oldest child was 11.
All seven were the couple's biological children, social service officials said.