Centralia parents who severely neglected son apprehended in Myrtle Beach

The parents of a 16-year-old boy who pleaded guilty to criminal mistreatment for his abuse but then fled Washington before they were sentenced were taken into custody over the weekend.

In January 2016, the Centralia Police Department began investigating Mary and Anthony Foxworth after their 16-year-old son was admitted to the hospital weighing only 54 pounds.

Police said the child was severely malnourished, missing patches of hair, could not stand on his own and could not open his mouth enough for doctors to look inside.

He had never been toilet trained, had not been to a doctor since 2007, had not been to school since 2011, was unable to read or write and needed extreme dental repair. The boy was taken into protective custody and has been in foster care since.

He was diagnosed with severe malnutrition, severe constipation, an intestinal blockage, anemia and neglect. A doctor also diagnosed him has having "psychosocial dwarfism," a syndrome linked to neglect, according to court documents.

"Wow. Where do I start? This is a very sad story for this very precious child," a Mary Bridge doctor is quoted as saying in court documents.

Two other children in the Foxworths' care were in good condition, according to court documents.

Since the boy has been out of his parents’ care, he has gained more than 90 pounds, grown four inches and is attending school full time.

Both Mary and Anthony Foxworth pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal mistreatment in October 2017 and were scheduled to be sentenced on November 1.  They were out of custody on bail.

When they failed to show up for their sentencing hearing, nationwide warrants were issued for their arrest.

On Saturday, the couple was located by the Myrtle Beach Police Department at a local motel. They were taken into custody and will be returned to Washington State for sentencing and will face new charges of bail jumping.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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