WACO, Texas — A Waco grandmother was arrested Tuesday after her malnourished 2-year-old granddaughter's condition led to a welfare check.
According to the Waco Police Department, someone reported a child who looked "very thin and sickly" was living at in the 1900 block of Liveoak.
When officers arrived, they found two children, a 2-year-old and a 6-month-old, were living at the residence with their grandmother and legal guardian, 43-year-old Noemi Constancio.
The house was cluttered, smelled like urine and was infested with roaches, police said. There were also "many" animals in the residence.
WPD said the 2-year-old's condition was so severe officers requested an ambulance.
"Her arms were as thin as the bones in them with no muscle mass," Sgt. Patrick Swanton of WPD said. "She mumbles and uses a walker to move around."
The children were taken to the hospital where doctors determined the 2-year-old had failure to thrive. They also found she weighed only 13.1 pounds while the 6-month-old weighed around 16 pounds.
The 2-year-old was experiencing severe muscle wasting, physical delay, developmental delay and mental delay. Doctors estimated it would have taken around six months of neglect her to reach that state of malnutrition.
Police determined Constancio failed to provide necessary medical care for the children. She was arrested for endangering the welfare of a child.
Waco police said they are still investigating the situation.
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