Abuse suspected in case of 2-year-old on life support

MOSES LAKE - Grant County Sheriff's detectives are investigating a suspected case of child abuse that left a 2-year-old Moses Lake boy on life support.

One detective, a 23-year law enforcement veteran, reportedly called the case the worst instance of child abuse or neglect he has ever seen.

On Wednesday at about 1 p.m., deputies, AMR paramedics and Grant County Fire District 5 EMTs responded to a 9-1-1 call concerning a child who was not breathing at a home about seven miles from Moses Lake, according to Sheriff's spokesman Kyle Foreman. Upon arrival they reportedly found a boy who was extremely malnourished and had no heartbeat.

Firefighters and paramedics started CPR and were able to get the boy's heart beating again, Foreman said. The boy was taken to Moses Lake's Samaritan Hospital before being flown by MedStar to Providence-Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, where he remained on life support as of Friday evening.

When admitted to the hospital the boy weighed less than 10 pounds. Foreman noted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control lists the average weight of a 2-year-old boy in the United States is between 34 to 48 pounds.

Because the circumstances of the boy's condition were not immediately known, Foreman said the boy's parents were allowed to travel with him to Spokane. Detectives interviewed them there Thursday afternoon and are now reviewing the information gathered from the conversation, he said.

Detectives served a search warrant on the home Wednesday night and gathered several pieces of evidence, Foreman said, although he could not immediately disclose exactly what was found.

Four other children living at the home - a 14-year-old boy and three girls ages 10, 7 and 4 - are now in the custody of Child Protective Services.

"There were no wounds or external injuries to the 2-year-old boy or his siblings, and Foreman said on Saturday the siblings are all in good health and in the care of CPS. Foreman did not disclose whether the 14-year-old showed signs of abuse, but said on Friday the teenager was also with CPS."

No arrests were made as of Friday. An investigation is underway and Foreman urged the public to be patient, saying more information will be released as the case moves forward, possibly early this week.

"We know when a child has been hurt in this way it can spark outrage, but we don't want anyone to take the law into their own hands," he said. "We need people to have patience and faith in detectives, who are building their case."