The parents of a young child in Baltimore were arrested Monday night after police found a severely emaciated body in their residence.
Law enforcement officials were called to a house just after 12:30 p.m. on reports of an unresponsive child. It was not immediately clear who placed the call.
Officials who arrived at the scene moments following the call said they quickly located the body. Police said the child's parents---identified the abusers as Bernice Betty Byrd, 32, and Gerard Byrd, 34---do not remember when they last fed the victim.
The child was identified as Zona Byrd. She was five years old at the time of death, per WMAR.
Severely Emaciated Girl Found Dead
Zona's parents told investigators that she had an altercation with her brother last week. It was unclear whether the altercation became physical.
Zona allegedly complained about a headache. There are no records showing the child received medical care for the headache.
Officials took issue with the parents' account. The brother was "gaunt."
A child described as "gaunt" is typically extremely thin, with visible bones and a lack of healthy body fat. Gauntness in children can be caused by a number of health issues such as malnutrition, severe acute malnutrition, and serious conditions such as cancer or chronic infections.
Police also found another child on the property. The child, 6, weighed only 35 pounds. The officials did not release any further details, including how the child was related to Zona.
Investigators noted that the couple did not leave any food within the reach of their children. Police officials who searched the home also found edible food products.
To feed themselves, the children would eat food they recovered from the garbage.
Parents Face Child Abuse Charges
The couple will be facing child abuse charges. Additionally, Bernice and Gerard are facing criminal charges of neglect resulting in death. Zona's official cause of death is still under investigation.
Authorities said Gerard pled guilty to second-degree assault in a separate incident. In that incident, he was accused of attempting to stab one of their daughters. He was given a five-year sentence.
