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Mom charged after 17-year-old son with cerebral palsy dies of neglect, NY cops say

A mom and stepfather were charged after a 17-year-old with cerebral palsy died of neglect and malnutrition, New York police said. He was found underweight.
A mom and stepfather were charged after a 17-year-old with cerebral palsy died of neglect and malnutrition, New York police said. He was found underweight. The Wichita Eagle

A mom is facing criminal charges a year after her 17-year-old son with cerebral palsy died of neglect in New York, according to officials.

The teen was found to be “severely underweight” and covered in bedsores after dying at a hospital on May 9, 2021, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office said in a March 16 news release shared to Facebook.

Lisa Waldron, the teen’s mom, and Anthony Waldron, his stepdad, were arrested March 16 after a thorough investigation including interviews with his teachers, doctors, and therapists, according to the sheriff’s office.

Attorneys for Lisa or Anthony Waldron were not listed publicly.

A medical examiner’s report completed in February “named the manner of death as homicide, caused in part by infection and malnutrition.”

Both Waldrons have been charged with second-degree manslaughter, first-degree criminally negligent homicide and first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, the release said.

In May 2021, officers from the sheriff’s office arrived at the teen’s home in Palermo after receiving a report that he’d “become unresponsive.”. It wasn’t specified who made the emergency call. The teen died soon after being taken to a nearby hospital, according to the sheriff’s office.

Lisa and Anthony Waldron were expected to be arraigned on March 16.

Cerebral palsy impacts muscle movement and a person’s balance and is a result from “abnormal brain development” or damage to a developing brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Palermo, a town of about 3,500, is located about 160 miles northwest of Albany.

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This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Mom charged after 17-year-old son with cerebral palsy dies of neglect, NY cops say."

Julia Marnin
McClatchy DC
Julia Marnin covers courts for McClatchy News, writing about criminal and civil affairs, including cases involving policing, corrections, civil liberties, fraud, and abuses of power. As a reporter on McClatchy’s National Real-Time Team, she’s also covered the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other topics since joining in 2021, following a fellowship with Newsweek. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, she was raised in South Jersey and is now based in New York State.
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