Bond hearing delayed for Georgia parents accused of trying to starve 10-year-old son to death
GRIFFIN, Ga. - A Georgia mother and father accused of keeping their 10-year-old locked in a room and trying to starve him to death stood before a judge Tuesday.
A bond hearing in front of a Spalding County judge is scheduled for the couple Tuesday at 9 a.m. After appearing in court without representation, the judge granted a continuance until June 12.
The charges come after police say a neighbor found the boy wandering on Westminster Circle. He is 10 years old, but only weighed 36 pounds. According to investigators, the boy told officers he was walking to a nearby Kroger and asked them to "please not make him go back."
Tyler and Krista Schindley appearing in court. (FOX 5)
MORE: GRIFFIN STARVATION CASE: ARREST WARRANT OUTLINES HORRIFYING CONDITIONS OF CHILD'S HOME LIFE
After the Schnidley's arrest, Spalding County District Attorney Marie Broder said it was one of the worst cases of child abuse she had ever seen.
"As a mother, I can't comprehend it. As a human being, it breaks your heart. We aren't releasing any photos of this child for obvious reasons, but I will tell you, the photos are absolutely horrible, and anybody with a human heart, who looks at them, should be shaken to their core," Broder said.
In the Schindley's arrest warrants obtained by FOX 5, prosecutors allege that couple locked their son in his room for extended periods of time with no lights or even clothes at their home in Griffin.
Tyler and Krista Schindley (Spalding County Jail)
The warrants also state the couple was aware their son had dental injuries and disfiguration, but did not provide medical treatment. According to the warrants, the couple inflicted abuse against the boy with other children present.
Neighbors say they were shocked about the arrest and said the parents often left their older children home for days while they went on vacation.
"We thought he was 6 or 7," said neighbor Matt Siegler. "It’s enough to break your heart."
DA Broder believes the neighbor who found the boy saved the child's life.
"It is my true belief that had he not gotten out of the home, this case would be a very different one," she said.
The boy is reported to be recovering in the hospital. The four other children found inside the couple's home are now in Georgia Division of Family and Children Services custody.