Pontiac boys tortured and starved by parents in 'nightmarish' abuse, prosecutor says

Three charged in disturbing Pontiac abuse case

The boys, ages 9 and 11 years old, were fed sporadic diets of rice and kept in bedrooms they were not allowed to leave, with windows painted over and screwed shut. Investigators say the 9-year-old weighed 33 pounds, and the 11-year-old weighed 43 pounds – roughly 30 to 40 pounds under the normal weight for children in the 50th percentile.

FOX 2 - A Pontiac couple is accused in a horrific case of child abuse and torture, starving and physically abusing their two young sons in horrific conditions.  

Auturo Bazan-Perez, 43, and his wife, Dulce Crystal Bazan Castillo, 42, are each charged with multiple counts of first-degree child abuse and child torture.

The backstory:

The boys, ages 9 and 11 years old, were fed sporadic diets of rice and kept in bedrooms they were not allowed to leave, with windows painted over and screwed shut.

Investigators say the 9-year-old weighed 33 pounds, and the 11-year-old weighed 43 pounds – roughly 30 to 40 pounds under the normal weight for children in the 50th percentile.

The judge arraigned the parents on the charges and ordered them held without bond in the Oakland County Jail.

"The child abuse cases we are seeing right now are nothing short of heartbreaking and enraging," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.  "No child should ever fall through the cracks like this. We will not rest until those responsible are held fully and unequivocally accountable."

On Nov. 17, sheriff’s deputies were notified by hospital personnel that a severely underweight 9-year-old was receiving CPR and had bruises on his body.

The parents had taken the boy to the hospital, claiming he suffered from a medical condition. When deputies arrived, the boy did not have a pulse and had been intubated. He was airlifted to another hospital for specialized care.

Detectives began investigating the boy’s hospitalization and found the severely malnourished 11-year-old. He was taken from his home and hospitalized.

Both boys are in stable condition.

Detectives said the boys had been enrolled in Pontiac schools and appeared to be eating at least two meals a day at school.

The boys were unenrolled from school in September. The father told school officials at the time the family was either moving back to Mexico or to another state.

After the boys no longer attended school, their diet consisted mainly of sporadic meals of rice. They were not permitted to leave their bedroom.

Investigators said the windows were screwed shut and the window glass was painted so that the boys could not see outside.

"It’s unconscionable that anyone, let alone parents, would willfully starve children," said Prosecutor McDonald. "The allegations in this case are horrifying. My thoughts right now are with these children and the caregivers working to help them recover from what appears to be a nightmare situation."

Two other children were found living in the home – a 1-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl.

Those children were fed a normal diet and appeared to be healthy. They were removed from their home on Friday by Child Protective Services. Termination proceedings are underway.

Child abuse and torture charges were also filed against an adult son of the mother who was living in the home and acting as a disciplinarian.

A probable cause conference for the parents is set for Dec. 4, and a preliminary examination is set for Dec. 11 before 50th District Court Judge Ronda Gross.

Bouchard said that common-sense legislation could have prevented this.

"The suffering these children endured might have been stopped sooner had the legislation I called on the Legislature to pass been enacted," he said. "A simple, common-sense safeguard that would prevent a child from being unenrolled from school without verified confirmation of their safety and status elsewhere."