Parents charged in death of disabled, malnourished teen

OSWEGO, N.Y. (AP) — The mother and stepfather of a 17-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who was severely underweight and covered with bedsores when he died last year were arrested in connection with his death, police said Wednesday.

Lisa Waldron and Anthony Waldron were arrested Tuesday on charges of second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, according to the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office in central New York.

They were expected to be arraigned late Wednesday.

It could not immediately be determined if they had an attorney.

Officers responded to a home in Palermo, north of Syracuse, last May after a report that the teen was unresponsive. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead soon after. An examination of the body found he was severely underweight with bedsores covering a significant portion of his body, according to the sheriff’s office.

A medical examiner’s report finalized last month called the death a homicide caused in part by infection and malnutrition.

The sheriff’s office spent months on an investigation that included interviews with the teen’s teachers, doctors, parents and therapists as well reviewing records regarding his care.