"John" ARNOLD - 6 yo and 30 pounds - Littleton CO

Officials say two parents will appear in court on Thursday for allegedly beating their adoptive son and starving him to the point that the 6-year-old only weighed 30 pounds.
An affidavit released by the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office says on Sept. 17, Littleton firefighters responded to the family's home at 6500 block of South Reed Way on a report of a young child who fell down the stairs and was unresponsive. Investigators say Christine Arnold reported she was cooking dinner when the boy fell. An EMT examining the boy observed bruises and abrasions all over his body, according to the affidavit. The affidavit says the medical staff at Littleton Hospital Emergency Room determined the boy had blood on his brain and his brain was swelling. A doctor at the hospital says the boy suffered from "serious bodily injury" and "severe malnutrition." The boy also suffered from various straight line, u-shaped and horseshoe type markings across his body consistent with the buckle of a belt found at the house, according to the affidavit. The affidavit reports the Arnolds took custody of the boy on a foster-to-adopt program when he was two and a half years old. That adoption was completed in 2006, according to the affidavit. According to Jefferson County Social Services, the boy was examined prior to his adoption and was measured and weighed. In 2006, the boy was in the fifty to seventy five percentiles for his height and weight. At age 3, he weighed 31 pounds. On September 17, 2010, the boy weighed 30 pounds at the age of 6, according to the affidavit. A check on Wednesday afternoon showed that the Arnolds were not being held at the Jefferson County Jail. The district attorney's office says Christine and Randall Arnold will appear in courtroom 1B on Thursday. Charges will be filed at that time.

A Littleton couple, who were convicted in April of beating and
starving their 6-year-old adoptive son, were found unconscious Monday
morning from an apparent suicide attempt.
The couple was only hours away from hearing their fate in front of a Jefferson County judge.

Christine and Randall Arnold, who were out on bond, were found in
their Littleton home by their parents. The unresponsive couple appeared
to have token a large number of pills, according to officials. Their
condition is unknown.

The couple was convicted of three counts of reckless child abuse, a
misdemeanor, and felony child abuse resulting in bodily injury.

Related Story: Couple charged with beating, starving 30-pound 6-year-old

According to a 2010 affidavit, their then 6-year-old adoptive son was
transported to a Littleton hospital on a report that he had fallen from
the stairs. An EMT examining the boy observed bruises and abrasions all
over his body, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit says the medical staff at Littleton Hospital Emergency
Room determined the boy, who weighed only 30 pounds, had blood on his
brain and his brain was swelling. The boy was placed in protective
custody.

The sentencing for the couple has been pushed back to July 13, 2012. They are facing a minimum of 10 years in prison.
http://www.9news.com/news/article/273063/188/Littleton-couple-charged-with-child-abuse-attempt-suicide

Should have let them die. Could have saved a lot of money.