Boy, 6, starved to death after ‘family locked him in closet and refused him food’

According to his autopsy, Deshaun Martinez weighed just 18 pounds when he died - far below the average weight of 44 pounds for a boy that age.

A six-year-old boy starved to death after his family allegedly locked him in a closet and refused to give him food, police said.

According to his autopsy, Deshaun Martinez weighed just 18 pounds when he died – far below the average weight of 44 pounds for a boy that age.

The boy’s parents, Elizabeth Archibeque and Anthony Martinez, as well as his grandmother, Ann Martinez, have been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and child abuse charges in connection with the Deshaun’s death in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Police originally responded to the family’s apartment in March after Deshaun was found unresponsive. His parents told authorities that his malnourished state was due to a medical condition.

However, Deshaun’s parents eventually told investigators that they kept the boy and his older brother locked in a closet for 16 hours a day and gave them little to eat.

Police said that the boys were kept in the closet as punishment for stealing food while their parents were sleeping, according to Fox 10.

According to the autopsy report, Deshaun had a medical history that showed he had trouble gaining weight and was hospitalized when he was two-weeks old due to sepsis and a urinary tract infection.

Before Deshaun was discharged from the hospital, his parents were instructed on how to keep him at a healthy weight, according to the report.

Deshaun’s weight reportedly fluctuated drastically throughout his life. He weighed 34 pounds when he was four, but he dropped to 27 pounds the year later and was 18 pounds when he died – the same weight he was when he was one year old.

Medical examiner Lawrence Czarnecki said the boy was in a ‘non-life-sustaining state of starvation’ and was in the third percentile in regards to weight for his age.

Elizabeth Archibeque told police Deshaun was ‘fed a lot’ but still did not gain weight. Anthony Martinez said the family was waiting on food stamps to buy more fatty food for Deshaun.

Czarnecki ruled the boy’s cause of death to be starvation and ruled it a homicide, noting that the boy had a skeletal appearance and nearly no body fat. His skin was also reportedly depressed into the cavities of his face and his eyes were sunken and rimmed with dark circles.

The autopsy said that the boy had cuts and bruises on his body that were not life-threatening.

Elizabeth Archibeque, Anthony Martinez and Ann Martinez all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. It is unclear when they are due back in court.

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