Elmwood Place, OH – A 32-year-old woman and her 34-year-old live-in boyfriend have been arrested for allegedly starving and abusing three young children, including a 9-year-old boy who was hospitalized in critical condition after weighing only 30 pounds and having a core body temperature below 80 degrees.
Suspects in Custody
Angel Holland, 32, the custodian of the 9-year-old since 2020, and Aaron Stalling, 34, were taken into custody on Tuesday. According to records reviewed by Law&Crime, both face three counts of felonious assault and three counts of endangering the safety of children.
Emergency Response
Officers from the Elmwood Place Police Department responded around 5 p.m. on September 13 to a home in the 5600 block of Helen Street regarding an unresponsive juvenile male, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Upon arrival, first responders found the boy and provided lifesaving measures, resuscitating him at the scene before transporting him via ambulance to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
911 Call Details
The emergency call was placed by Stalling, who spoke in a calm tone:
- “My child isn’t breathing or he’s having a hard time breathing,” he told the dispatcher.
- When asked about the boy’s breathing, he replied, “He’s breathing heavily — he seems to be really weak.”
- He further added, “I don’t know, maybe 5 minutes. I heard him breathing. It’s kind of labored, so I went to check on him. He seems out of it… it’s like he’s not breathing, I don’t know.”
Victim’s Condition
Doctors at Cincinnati Children’s reported that the 9-year-old was severely malnourished and had a life-threateningly low body temperature, along with visible signs of physical abuse, according to WKRC Cincinnati.
In interviews with police, Holland admitted that the boy had been complaining of a stomachache three days earlier and reportedly did not seek medical care after a recent fall. She allegedly stated she was preoccupied with another child on the day of the incident.
When questioned about the boy’s condition, Stalling reportedly responded, “We feed him,” according to a probable cause affidavit.
Other Children Also Affected
The other two children, aged 8 and 6, who also lived with Holland, were found malnourished and in need of hospitalization for medical treatment, the affidavit said.
Investigators executed a search warrant and recovered bungee cords, a belt, and soiled towels inside a vehicle registered to Holland, authorities said.
Authorities Respond
Elmwood Place Police Chief Randy Newsom, a 30-year veteran, described the scene as “the worst case of child abuse and neglect that I’ve ever seen.” He added, “I’ve never seen anything this bad in my life.”
The boy’s grandfather called a photo of his grandson “literally the most horrific, disturbing thing I have ever seen in my life.”
Bond and Court Proceedings
Stalling and Holland are currently held at the Hamilton County Justice Center on $600,000 bond each. Their case is scheduled to be presented to a grand jury on October 3.
What do you think about this case? Should authorities increase checks on children in guardianship situations to prevent tragedies like this? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
