Parents Arrested After Malnourished Kid Rushed to Hospital

Autistic youngster weighed nearly half what he should: police

The father and stepmother of a malnourished autistic boy who was rushed to a Miami hospital Sunday with breathing problems have been arrested and charged with child neglect.

Roberto Fortin and Yoselin Aguirre were both busted after Fortin brought his young son to Miami Children's hospital for irregular breathing. An examination of the boy found he weighed just 40 pounds, about 30 pounds less than what a normal child his age would weigh. In addition, the boy, who is Autistic and suffers from ADHD, had untreated wounds on his skin.

According to a police report, Aguirre, 31, said she home schools the boy and knew he was sick but didn't get him medical attention since she's not his biological mother.

Fortin, 30, told police he was monitoring the boy and thought he would get better.

Both were arrested and in a Miami-Dade jail as of late Monday. The boy and another child in the home were put into the care of the Department of Children and Families.

This isn't the first time Fortin has had issues with children. In 2005, Fortin's 9-month-old son died after he was left unattended in a bath and drowned.

"This family has a history with DCF," said the agency in a statement released Monday. "Right now we are investigating this case and their two children are in DCF care."

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