A Michigan couple was arrested and charged with murder after their 2-year-old son, who was healthy in foster care, died of starvation while in their custody last Thursday.
Sierra Pearl Zaitona, 27, and Jonathon Matthew Cheek, 25, called the police on March 16 to report finding their toddler son dead in his crib.
“The coroner determined the cause of death was starvation,” prosecutors said.
During the parents' arraignment, Macomb County Assistant Prosecutor Molly Zappitell described the couple as a “flight risk” asking the judge for a higher bond.
“For the record, the child was healthy in foster care, and once it got into the case of these two individuals, it met its demise,” Zappitell told the judge.
“I am devastated. I've cried all weekend, so sick about it I want to cry.”
