Colbert County Child Abuse Horror: MALNOURISHED 9-YEAR-OLD FOUND WITH MAGGOTS, Parents Arrested

A mother and stepfather were arrested in Colbert County after investigators went to North Alabama Medical Center and discovered a malnourished 9-year-old kid.

The Colbert County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) requested that deputies and investigators attend the medical center on June 17 for a probable case of child abuse. When investigators arrived, CCSO reported that the boy was “severely malnourished, weighing 37 pounds.” The sheriff’s investigators also found that the toddler had arrived from Colbert Alloys, a camping area where the family had been sleeping in a tent for several weeks.

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The youngster had bruises all over his body, blood flowing from his ear, and maggots sprouting from various parts of his body.

During the investigation, officials discovered that the mother, Deja-Ariaha Geraldine Bankhead, and stepfather, Demariez Lavonski Mitchell, were at the hospital with their two younger children, the youngest of whom was three months old.

“Colbert County DHR was notified and assisted in the investigation and took custody of the children,” the county attorney’s office stated. The sheriff’s office also stated that owing to the seriousness of the 9-year-old boy’s condition, he was flown to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham for additional treatment and examination.

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The WHNT stated that investigators were able to get a search order for the campsite and locate the tents where the family had been residing for the preceding two weeks.

On June 18, investigators served warrants on Bankhead and Mitchell, who were then detained and charged with severe child abuse. They are currently being held at Colbert County Jail in place of a $50,000 bond.