Ohio – In a shocking case out of Ohio, a 52-year-old foster mother, identified as K. Lewis, has been accused of starving and neglecting her 9-year-old foster son so severely that he resorted to eating leftover food from a garbage can and drinking dirty water to survive. The woman, identified as Kelly Lewis of Cheviot, was arrested and charged with felony child endangering, a crime prosecutors say reflects a “severe violation of trust.”
Authorities allege that between April and August of this year, Lewis allowed the child, who has autism and is nonverbal, to waste away inside her home while she claimed she was following a nutritional plan. The abuse came to light after school staff noticed the boy’s alarming condition and alerted family services. Investigators say that when they began looking into the reports, they found the boy had lost approximately 14% of his body weight in just a few months. His physical state was so dire that he required a 26-day hospital stay to recover from malnutrition and dehydration. According to prosecutors, the child’s desperate behavior revealed the depth of his neglect—at times, he was seen rummaging through a garbage can for food and even drinking dishwater when no clean water or proper meals were provided.
“The charge represents a severe violation of trust,” Assistant Prosecutor D. Hickenlooper said, emphasizing that foster parents hold a special responsibility to care for children who are already vulnerable. Detectives also noted that school staff were the first to intervene, reporting that the boy appeared frail and withdrawn. Their alert likely saved his life, triggering the investigation that led to Lewis’ arrest…