Parents accused of injuring malnourished adopted child

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso police said a 13-year-old boy was taken to the hospital severely malnourished, with bruises all over his body and broken bones. His adoptive parents have been arrested and charged with injury to a child.

Arrest affidavits said Timothy and Katrina Sibley failed to provide basic care for their adoptive son. The two allegedly failed to seek medical treatment for the child victim when needed. They both face charges of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury.

Timothy was also charged with injury to a child. Documents said he injured the child by hitting him.

Investigators wrote that the two adopted the child when he was 2 years old.

On Sept. 5, the Sibley's 13-year-old adopted son was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Documents said the boy was unconscious, unresponsive and had bruises.

Investigators noted that the child had low blood sugar, was hypothermic and had fractures to his ribs and spine. He also had signs of extreme malnourishment.

Officers met with Katrina and Timothy's mother at the hospital. Katrina allegedly said the child had been diagnosed with Joubert syndrome, dwarfism and short-rib thoracic dysplasia. Documents later clarified the boy hadn't been officially diagnosed.

According to documents, Katrina would watch the child through a camera in his room. She allegedly watched him "going stiff and limp" and watched him grab the wall to hold himself up.

Katrina allegedly told authorities she didn't see anything "extreme" and wanted to make sure the boy wasn't "faking."

A doctor told detectives he was worried about the child's "failure to thrive" because his weight gain was below that of other children of his age, documents said.

The boy weighed 33 pounds, according to documents.

The doctor also found bruises on his forehead and back and fractures to his chest and spine, investigators wrote. Documents said the child had a severe infection caused by pneumonia "due to obvious medical neglect."

Investigators wrote that exams showed the child hadn't been properly fed for years.

During a follow-up interview with doctors, investigators learned that the child may have been "stomped" on, according to documents. Medical exams showed that the child victim's body also lacked nutrition.

Investigators noted the child's heart was only working at 30%.

Authorities told Katrina about the doctor's concern about the child's failure to thrive. She allegedly said she got frustrated with doctors because "there is nothing else to do for him."

Authorities also spoke with Timothy, who stayed home while his family took the boy to the hospital. Timothy allegedly said Katrina woke him up around 1:30 a.m. and said the boy was having a seizure. Documents said Timothy saw the child "just lying there and looked kind of 'out of it.'"

Documents said Timothy and Katrina do "military discipline" on the child, which consists of jumping jacks and push-ups. He also allegedly said he spanks the child, but denied hurting him.

Timothy said the child gets disciplined for "stealing food" and needs to "ask for permission," documents said. Katrina also told authorities he would "disrespect" the house by taking food without permission.

Detectives interviewed the child victim's siblings, who are 6 and 13 years old. The youngest sibling said Timothy punched and kicked the boy whenever he misbehaved, documents said.

The siblings told authorities the child victim drank water from the toilet, eats his feces and went to the restroom on himself and the vents, documents said.

The older sibling said the victim's behavior had been the same for years, and his adopted parents get frustrated with him, according to documents.

Authorities used a search warrant at the child's home. In his room, they found a small air mattress, pillow, small blanket and a camera, documents said.

The child's room didn't have any furniture or toys, while the other rooms in the home were completely furnished, investigators said.

Investigators wrote that the child's room was the only one with a reverse lock on the outside, with an alarm sensor that sounds when the door is opened. The food pantry also had a lock, documents said.