ELMWOOD PLACE, Ohio — A Hamilton County couple is accused of child abuse after officials found three malnourished children at their home while responding to a call about an unresponsive child earlier this month.
Angel Holland and her live-in boyfriend, Aaron Stalling, face multiple counts of felonious assault and child abuse after Elmwood police officers were sent to their home on Helen Street on Sept. 13 for a report of a 9-year-old who was not breathing.
The detective assigned to the case said the child had gone into cardiac arrest. EMS resuscitated the child and took them to Cincinnati Children's, where medical staff determined the child weighed 30 pounds and had a core temperature below 80 degrees.
In an affidavit, police said Holland told officials the child had a recent fall and previously complained of a stomachache, but she did not take him to the doctor. Stalling said the child had been having trouble breathing, but police wrote that when he was told about the child's poor condition, he responded with, "We feed him."
Police said the child's doctors confirmed the child was severely malnourished and showed signs of physical abuse. They remain in critical condition at this time.
The child's siblings, ages 6 and 8, were also found to be malnourished and were hospitalized for medical treatment. They also weighed 30 pounds or less.
"This appears to be one of the most insidious examples of child abuse that I've seen in 25 years," one of the prosecutors said in court Wednesday.
Police said they found bungee cords, a belt and soiled towels inside Holland's vehicle while executing a search warrant of her home. After consulting with the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, detectives filed three endangering child and three felonious assault charges for both Holland and Stalling.
Their bond was set at $600,000 each.
