By: Harrison Stone, Jailbirds Collaborator
EDMOND, Okla. – A couple was arrested on child neglect charges after their 8-year-old son was found to weigh only 30 pounds.
61-year-old Valerio Garcia, 61, and his 36-year-old fiance, Akemi Cox, were arrested by Edmond police after a social worker visited the home and found that their 8-year old son was so severely malnourished, he weighed as much as a toddler.
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services was notified after someone witnessed the 8-year-old searching for food in a dumpster, prompting a social worker’s visit. The findings from the social worker’s visit led to the arrest of Garcia and Cox.
The child was forced to follow a meal plan and had become so malnourished that his stomach was swollen and distended. Since being held in DHS custody, the child has gained 15 pounds and will not be returned to the mother. Garcia and Cox were held in Oklahoma County Jail and charged with two counts of child neglect.
