Stephanie Linke, 36, and Michael Gruchacz, 35, each stand accused of two counts of aggravated child abuse, law enforcement officials allege.
The underlying conduct dates back at least four months but came to a head on Oct. 16, when the couple brought the child to a hospital in Cheyenne, according to the Cheyenne Police Department.
When the couple arrived with the boy, Linke said son had been starving himself of food and beverages, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by
Cap City News and
Cowboy State Daily.
The mother then told staff she had been forcing her son to consume roughly two gallons of water per day, police allege.
At the time of his arrival at the hospital, the 14-year-old was 5-foot-4 and weighed roughly 92 pounds, law enforcement officials claim.
To explain the boy's weight issues, Linke allegedly said her son had a series of behavioral issues and refused to eat because he was denied junk food and soda, police say.
Hospital staff also noticed another problem: The boy had a "long-term" untreated wound behind one of his ears, along with other bruises and scrapes on his body, according to the affidavit.
As for the water, it had actually caused more harm than good, police claim. The boy's excessive consumption of the fluid had caused hyponatremia, a condition where the amount of salt in the body is too low due to constant flushing of electrolytes, authorities allege. Medical staff told police the child would have likely died from the malady had he not received the medical care when he finally did.
The staff went on to note the child had an oxygen saturation level of 82% — while normal levels are between 95% and 100%, according to the affidavit. The child victim faced the likelihood of total organ failure if his conditions had been left untreated, authorities claim.
After being discharged from the hospital, the boy allegedly told investigators Linke often yelled at him, hit him, and dragged him on the carpet. The victim also allegedly said Gruchacz once hit him in the neck and shoulder with a "karate chop," according to the affidavit.
In the charging document, prosecutors allege the couple inflicted "substantial mental or emotional injury by the torture or cruel confinement of the child" as well as serious bodily injury.
The inciting incident was the boy vomiting and "continuously urinating" before becoming unresponsive, Gruchacz said, according to the affidavit. The couple revived him in the bathtub before calling 911. When paramedics arrived, the boy was combative with them, Gruchacz allegedly told police. He was later taken directly to the hospital.
In one home surveillance video obtained by law enforcement, Gruchacz allegedly paces back and forth in front of the victim before taking him to the hospital and saying: "We will report everything you have done since that is the only way we can protect your mom."
Eventually, the child was flown to the Children's Hospital in Denver. He regained consciousness there the next day.
lawandcrime.com
