A couple in Texas was arrested on Friday after authorities discovered their 5-year-old son malnourished and abused, the New York Daily News reported.
Bradley Bleimeyer, 24, the boy's father, and Tammi Bleimeyer, 33, the boy's stepmother, are facing a child endangerment charge after police found the 5-year-old in a diaper and extremely underweight.
According to the Daily News, the child's stepbrother notified authorities on Thursday of all the abuse he endured.
Police arrived at the Bleimeyer home on Thursday night after reports of a fight, KPRC-TV reported. Officers discovered Bradley Bleimeyer arguing with his 16-year-old stepson, who told police about the abuse.
As they began to search the house, officers found a closet underneath a stairway with a mattress and lock. However, Tammi Bleimeyer already fled with the child by the time police arrived, and both parents refused to say where the boy was.
On Friday, authorities tracked the couple to a nearby motel and arrested them. The boy was taken to a hospital for treatment.
"He was severely under nourished, bone sticking out, bumps, bruises. His skin was coming off on his back. It's a horrific horrific situation," Harris County Constable Precinct 4 Assistant Chief Mark Herman told KHOU-TV.
The boy's stepmother, who is pregnant and has five kids, was released of $2,000 bond. His father, Bradley, was already out on bail for a burglary arrest and held without bond.
The child remained hosptalized on Monday and is expected to stay there for several weeks. He is currently in custody of Children's Protective Services.
According to one of the family's neighbors, this isn't the first time they've had problems with the law.
"It's not the first time CPS or police have been out," Skip Warren told KHOU-TV.
