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Ohio girl, 11, weighing 47 pounds, was fed rice once a day, forced to wear diaper and sleep on urine-soaked mattress

Charles Breeze and his wife Margaret Breeze were arrested after being tipped off by a teacher who was helping the child through an online test.
UPDATED FEB 20, 2020
(Police Department)
(Police Department)

GEORGETOWN, OHIO: A woman and her husband have been arrested and charged after authorities responded to their residence and found an 11-year-old girl severely malnourished and living in squalid conditions.

Charles Breeze, 61, and his wife Margaret Breeze, 47, were arrested after the plight of the child, who was homeschooled, was noted by an observant teacher who was helping her through an online test, according to WCPO.

The 11-year-old had complained about being hungry. The teacher also picked up on the little clues the girl was giving, such as talking about a stomach ache and duly reported it.

On September 13, a Child Services worker responded to the Breeze's residence on White Oak Valley Road, with an investigation revealing the extent of the abuse the young girl had suffered.

She had been placed in the custody of the couple six years ago, following which they kept her locked in her bedroom in a trailer, where she slept on a urine-soaked mattress and fed her rice just once a day. They also monitored her closely through a surveillance camera and made her wear diapers because their trailer did not have a bathroom.

A video recovered from the home showed Margaret Breeze telling the 11-year-old she would like to "break her jaw so she didn't have to listen to her." Another showed her being beaten and threatened.

The girl was found to weigh just 47 pounds and experiencing liver failure and was in desperate need of medical treatment. She was removed a few days later and admitted to the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

She was diagnosed with Kwashiorkor, a severe protein deficiency normally seen in sub-Saharan Africa. She also looked much younger than 11 and reportedly came in below the .01 percentile for both height and weight for her age group. It emerged that the Breezes had pulled her from school about three years ago, which was around the same time they stopped taking her to a doctor as well. 

The couple has both been charged with two counts of endangering children, two counts of kidnapping, and felonious assault. Margaret Breeze is currently being held on a $250,000 bond.

The authorities said their victim has been placed in a loving home and had gained 15 pounds since her rescue. They also said they had found two other children, 2 and 8, living at the Breeze's home, and that they were placed in the care of other relatives. Neither showed signs of abuse or neglect.

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