Mother, stepfather arrested after "very malnourished" teens found in Pennsylvania
A Pennsylvania couple has been charged after twin teens were found "very malnourished and extremely thin," according to a criminal complaint.
The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office said Joshua Dechant and Tracy Dechant face two felony counts each of endangering the welfare of children.
According to the DA's office, Pennsylvania State Police responded to Divot Drive in Lower Macungie Township for a report of a naked 15-year-old boy running around the neighborhood on Jan. 22. Troopers noted outside temperatures were in the single digits, and the boy allegedly told them his stepfather makes him run outside naked as a form of punishment.
The boy's feet were extremely red from the snow and cold, according to the complaint.
Neighbors told police that the 15-year-old knocked on their door for help and, once inside, "would not stop eating," the DA's office said. Officers were able to make contact with the teen's twin brother, who also said their stepfather and their mother forced them to walk around naked, denied them food and water and forced the teens to sleep on the floor with one blanket to share.
The twins were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Hospital staff weighed the teens as 53 and 55 pounds, acknowledging that the normal weight for their age and size would be 143 pounds. The twins had gained only 10 pounds in the past eight years, according to medical records provided to police. Other children present in the home were taken into custody and placed with family.
Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said during a press conference the twins are Tracy Dechant's biological children.
In the affidavit, investigators seized evidence, including hundreds of pieces of paper with repetitive writings, including the phrase, "Weak men are abusive and spiteful, strong men are protective and loving."
"We don't believe they were in brick-and-mortar school," Holihan said. "We don't believe they were seeing live teachers on a regular basis. We don't believe they were getting medical care on a regular basis for the last eight years, and at this point early in the investigation, we don't have any information that they were seen people interacting with people on a regular basis."
Investigators also interviewed the biological older sister of the twin boys, who has not lived in the home and told investigators she, too, had been subjected to the same treatment as her brothers.
Holihan said Joshua Dechant and Tracy Dechant are expected to make $75,000 bail. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Feb. 3 in Lehigh County Central Court.