TYLER DeLEON - 7 yo (2005) - Spokane WA

SPOKANE -- Foster mother Carole DeLeon, who was
blamed for starving her 7-year-old son Tyler to death, gets out of jail
Wednesday after serving roughly half of her sentence.
DeLeon, 55, has served about half of the six year prison sentence she received
in a 2007 plea agreement with prosecutors over the death of her foster son Tyler
in 2005.
A state review revealed Carole DeLeon withheld food and water from Tyler,
in fact reports say Tyler would get so thirsty that he was forced to drink from
the toilet to get water. Records also show the state took DeLeon's biological
children away from her because of repeated abuse. Those records were destroyed
and years later the state placed Tyler and several other children in her care.
Just six months before Tyler's death, the state determined "the children
in the DeLeon home were at high risk for future abuse and neglect." DSHS not
only left Tyler and four other children in her care, they placed a three month
old baby with her as well. Records show DeLeon abused and neglected all the
children.
Tyler died of dehydration on his seventh birthday. An autopsy showed he
weighed only 28 pounds when he died.
The state Department of Social and Health Services agreed to pay $6
million in a settlement for the other foster children who were placed under
DeLeon's care, including $180,000 to Tyler's estate