The parents of a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy were arrested after the couple allegedly deprived their son of food.
John Raymond Copeland, 47, and Tiesa Sharie Ingram, 41, are charged with child cruelty after officials say they failed to feed their son while he was recovering from spinal surgery, according to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
Both are out on bond, according to Muscogee County Jail records.
Police say the couple have been under investigation by the Department of Family and Children Services since September 2015 for similar complaints.
The victim was out of school for two months beginning in January and was scheduled for a doctor’s appointment March 2. He was due back in school March 7. He missed both dates.
When the boy returned to school March 16, school officials noticed his extreme weight loss. The boy told faculty his parents fed him only “chocolate milk and Capri Sun juice for at least a month,” the paper reported.
DFCS visited the home March 25, while the boy was on spring break, and found him in bed, the paper reported. Officials said the doors were open, and the boy’s mother wasn’t home.
When the boy returned to school March 28, the nurse noticed he was 20 pounds lighter than his original 70-pound weight in January.
The boy was taken to the the hospital with a fast heart rate, headaches and deteriorated speech. He remained there overnight Tuesday.
Authorities said the boy will be in DFCS custody when he is released.
Copeland was released on a $5,000 bond. Ingram was released on a $10,000 bond.
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