MOSES LAKE, Wash. (AP) -- The parents of a 2-year-old Moses Lake toddler who was found severely malnourished have been charged with mistreatment.
The Grant County Prosecutor's Office has charged Robert and Michelle Staats with first and second degree criminal mistreatment. Charges were filed Wednesday.
Emergency responders found the boy not breathing and extremely malnourished. The child was transported to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake and later airlifted to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, where he was placed on life support.
When he was admitted to the hospital he weighed less than 10 pounds, while the average weight for a 2-year-old is between 34 and 48 pounds. The toddler suffered a heart attack.
The boy has since been moved to a private care facility in Western Washington.
Robert and Michelle Staats will appear in court in September. First degree criminal mistreatment carries a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. Second degree criminal mistreatment carries a maximum of 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
