Authorities in Texas have charged a 41-year-old woman with felony child abuse, after her 11-year-old child was discovered in a shocking condition; He was covered in feces, and weighed only about 46 pounds, less than half the normal weight for a child his age.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Harris County, police in Baytown, about 26 miles outside of Houston, responded to an urgent call to check on the welfare of the child, who lived with his mother, Rachel Nicole Blaylock, in a mobile home.
Investigations showed, according to People newspaper, that the child was unable to speak, had never attended school, and had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
When police arrived, the officer noticed flies everywhere and dried feces on the floors, with a smell “so bad she almost vomited,” according to the complaint.
It was also found that Blaylock was closing her son’s bedroom door, which she replaced with a mesh door, to prevent him from leaving the room, while the officer described the room and the bedding as “dirty and filthy,” with feces spread throughout it, including on the child’s face, arms, and under his fingernails.
The grandmother said that the child was often locked in his room all day, and that only Blaylock and her boyfriend were able to open the door; This prevented her from providing him with food and water, and she described the mother as “not a good mother.”
The child was taken to a local hospital, where he was diagnosed with autism, and it was found that he was suffering from severe malnutrition, delayed speech and growth, dental problems, and fear of possible sexual assault.
According to court records, Blaylock was charged with aggravated child abuse with serious bodily injury and possession of methamphetamine in a separate case, and her bail was set at $250,000.
