Parents arrested after 36-pound 10-year-old found wandering the streets searching for food

Parents in Georgia, who were homeschooling their 10-year-old child, were charged with a plethora of felonies after their son was found wandering along a street in search of food and begging to not be taken home.

According to the District Attorney of Spalding County, Marie Broder, the child was being deprived of sustenance and was in a dire state. The police officer, Jodi Spears, stated that the boy was taken to the hospital, where it was found that he had a low heart rate and weighed 36 pounds, which is drastically lower than the average weight of a healthy 10-year-old in the United States.

Tyler and Krista Schindley, the parents of the child, are being charged with attempted homicide in the second degree, attempted malice murder, and various degrees of cruelty to children.

The court documents specify that the couple caused their son extreme physical and mental pain by intentionally withholding food and medical attention from him. Moreover, they are also accused of locking him in his bedroom with no access to food, water, clothing, light, or any form of communication for extended periods of time.

The other children in the family have been taken into the custody of the Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services. It is still unknown how the child managed to escape from his parents. The father of the boy voluntarily spoke to the police and the mother was arrested after an interview. The bond hearing for the couple is expected to take place in the coming weeks.