A Greater Cincinnati woman and her live-in boyfriend are facing serious charges after police say three young children in their care were starved and abused, including a 9-year-old boy who remains in critical condition.
Court records identify the suspects as Angel Holland and Aaron Stalling, who are both charged with three counts of felonious assault and three counts of child endangerment. Holland has been the legal custodian of the 9-year-old since 2020, records show.
The case began earlier this month when Elmwood Place police responded to a 911 call reporting a juvenile not breathing at a home on Helen Street. Emergency crews arrived to find the 9-year-old unresponsive. Paramedics resuscitated him before rushing him to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Doctors determined the boy weighed only 30 pounds, suffered from severe malnutrition, and had a dangerously low body temperature of under 80 degrees. He was placed in critical condition, according to Cincinnati Fox affiliate WXIX.
According to an affidavit, Holland told investigators the child had complained of stomach pain three days earlier but admitted she did not seek medical help. She also said she had been “preoccupied with another child the day of the incident.”
Stalling, meanwhile, admitted he heard the boy struggling to breathe but offered no aid. When told of the child’s life-threatening condition, he responded, “We feed him,” according to the affidavit.
On Sept. 16, doctors confirmed the boy showed clear signs of physical abuse in addition to malnutrition. His siblings, ages 8 and 6, were also evaluated at the hospital, where staff determined both children were malnourished and required treatment.
Investigators later obtained a search warrant for the home. Inside, they discovered items described as potential evidence, including bungee cords, a belt, and soiled towels found in a vehicle registered to Holland, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Given the severity of the case, Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Josh Berkowitz set bond for both Holland and Stalling at $600,000 each during a hearing on Sept. 24. If released, they will be required to stay away from the victims and remain under house arrest with electronic monitoring.
The case is scheduled to go before a grand jury for indictment on Oct. 3. Meanwhile, the three children remain in protective care as the community awaits justice for what officials have described as a harrowing case of abuse and neglect.