Ryan Sabin and his wife, Tarra Sabin, turned themselves into the El Paso County Jail. That is after the Sheriff's office announced the arrest of the two on Tuesday.
The Sabin couple is facing charges of first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, and six counts of misdemeanor child abuse.
According to the El Paso Sherrif's office, the couple is believed to be behind the death of an 11-year-old Colorado boy on March 11.
After more than three months of investigation, the El Paso Coroner's Office says that Zachary Sabin, the 11-year-old Colorado boy, died due to forced water intoxication.
How the 11-year-old Colorado boy died
The report by the El Paso Coroner's office says that Zachary was forced to drink 96 ounces of water in only four hours. He did not have any food and was only asked to drink water for four hours.
According to reports of the authorities, on the night before he was found dead, he was seen vomiting. In the morning, Zachary was found dead in his bed with oral foam.
The investigation also disclosed that Zacahry has a blunt force trauma. Bruises were seen on his head, arms, and buttocks. A red wound was also found near his left eye.
When Zachary died, he was wearing a urine-soaked diaper.
What did the Sabin couple tell authorities?
Tara Sabin is Zachary's stepmother. According to the arrest papers, she told authorities that the Colorado boy has a hereditary urological disorder. That caused him to urinate in his bed at night frequently. That is also the reason why even at eleven years old, he still wears a diaper.
The couple also said that it is because of this disorder, that they require Zachary to drink at least 32 ounces of water a day.
The arrest papers also revealed that on March 10, it was Ryan who kept telling Zachary to drink the water.
The 11-year-old Colorado boy started complaining that he had pain in his legs and that he can no longer drink the water.
Afterwhich, Zachary was reported to throw a fit. Because he was not getting up, Ryan kicked Zachary's leg, then kicked him again when he still did not get up.
Ryan told authorities that he brought his son to bed at around 11 pm. He was also the one who called 911 in the morning when he found blood and foam coming out of Zachary's mouth.
The couple is scheduled to appear in court on June 23.
How water intoxication happens
Water intoxication results from excessive intake of water. A person suffering from water intoxication may experience disorientation, nausea, difficulty in breathing, muscle weakness, and vomiting.
In some cases, although rare, water intoxication can cause swelling of the brain and lead to death.
