Carnation parents accused of mistreatment

King County sheriff's deputies have accused the parents of a 14-year-old Carnation girl of withholding food and water such that the 4-foot-7 girl weighed only 48 pounds.

Sheriff's spokesman John Urquhart said Monday it's one of the worst cases of mistreatment investigators have seen.

A deputy went to the home Aug. 13 for a welfare check after a neighbor had called Child Protective Services and reported screaming coming from the house the night before.

The girl told the deputy her mother restricted her water to about half a small cup a day and gave her primarily toast to eat.

The girl and her 12-year-old brother were removed from the home. The girl was treated at Childrens' Hospital in Seattle for two weeks for severe malnutrition. Dentists had to extract six teeth and cap the rest because of erosion likely caused by a salivary shutdown due to extreme dehydration over an extended time.

The sheriff's office says the children are now doing well in foster care.

The 44-year-old father and 43-year-old mother were arrested Friday. Deputies are recommending that King County prosecutors file felony criminal mistreatment charges.

Investigators say the mother disciplined the girl by restricting her water. The mother monitored her showers and bathroom habits. She was locked in a bedroom to keep her from drinking from the toilet.

Investigators say the children were forced to sleep on the floor of the same room as their parents. Detectives don't believe the children have been to school for years.

The sheriff's news release says the father is a software engineer and the mother does not work outside the home.

The family has two dogs in good health that had recent trips to a veterinary clinic.