‘Malnourished’ and ‘Underweight’ 4-Year-Old Dead After Mother and Stepfather Allegedly Failed to Seek Medical Care

A 4-year-old boy in South Carolina has died, and his parents are now facing charges for failing to provide medical care.

According to The State, FOX Carolina, and WSAW, citing the Oconee County Coroner’s Office, emergency services were dispatched to a home on the 400 block of Forest Acres Circle around 6:20 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 19, after receiving a call that the boy, identified by the outlets as Isaiah Joseph Dionne, was unresponsive. The coroner’s office was requested to respond 20 minutes later.

An affidavit from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) indicated that the boy appeared “underweight for his age and malnourished” at the time of his death.

SLED officials reported that Isaiah weighed 21 pounds, had sunken eyes, and that his ribs and bones “were very visible.”

Authorities identified 30-year-old Joshua Emanuel Lamar Latimer as the boy’s stepfather and 24-year-old Destiny Shay Dionne as his mother, according to The State and The Post and Courier Greenville.

Both parents are accused of causing Isaiah’s death “under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to life,” the affidavit states.

Latimer and Dionne were arrested on the same day and charged with two counts each of Unlawful Conduct Toward a Child, according to a SLED press release. On Monday, Sept. 22, they were additionally charged with Homicide by Child Abuse.

The Homicide by Child Abuse charge carries a potential sentence of 20 years to life in prison, according to the affidavit viewed by PEOPLE.

The State and The Post and Courier Greenville report that Latimer had been employed by the South Carolina Highway Patrol but was fired after the agency learned of his arrest. He held the rank of Lance Corporal with Troop 3, which covers Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg counties.

Isaiah is remembered in an obituary as “the most beautiful baby boy.” It reads: “As Isaiah grew, so did his personality. Knowing him was such an amazing experience; he was always happy. Isaiah’s smile could light up a room, and his laugh would warm your heart.”