More on suspected child abuse case
MOSES LAKE - A 2-year-old boy remains in critical condition despite weighing 10 pounds when hospitalized last week due to suspected child abuse or neglect.
Authorities released more information regarding the case, including a search warrant for a home on Shorecrest Drive Northeast. The boy was reportedly living there with his parents and four siblings - a 14-year-old boy and three girls ages 10, 7 and 4, who are now in the custody of Child Protective Services (CPS).
Deputies and paramedics were called to the Cascade Valley home last Wednesday where, according to the warrant, they found the boy's mother, Michelle K. J. Staats, 32, on the floor in the process of administering CPR to the child.
The boy exhibited signs of extreme malnourishment, the warrant stated, including no muscle tone, no hair, a core temperature of 89 degrees, blood loss from the rectum and, initially, no heartbeat.
He was revived by paramedics and transported to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake where, according to the warrant, emergency room medical staff said he could not have sat up on his own for some time and was "not likely to survive."
The boy was airlifted to Providence-Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane where, as of Tuesday evening, he remains on life support, according to Grant County Sheriff's Spokesman Kyle Foreman.His siblings reportedly showed no evident signs of abuse and are in good condition in the custody of CPS, where they have been interviewed by detectives.
Few details are known about the boy's past medical history, as Samaritan Hospital staff told police they found no medical record on file and said Staats spoke to them about "seeing a naturalist" and consulting with a "Chinese herbal provider in the San Francisco area for treatment," according to the warrant.
"I observed photos of the child being treated at Samaritan ER," Grant County Sheriff's detective Ryan Green stated in the warrant. "The photos depicted a young, nude white male child that was skin and bones."
During their search of the residence last week, detectives reportedly seized bags of "miscellaneous bottles" from the kitchen and a child's bedroom, along with a "glass smoking device" and "two clear jars of gum."
A vehicle parked outside the Shorecrest Drive home was registered to a Robert Staats, who also lives at the address, according to the warrant. He accompanied Michelle Staats in traveling to Spokane, where Foreman said last week they were interviewed by detectives.
To date, no arrests have been made, and Foreman urged patience as the investigation moves forward.
"This case will require a great amount of investigative work, and there are a lot of questions which we need to get answers for," he stated on Monday. "It will take time to do this work, and we ask the public to remain supportive of the child, his siblings and our detectives."