4-Year-Old Dead After Parents Allegedly Failed to Seek Medical Care

A 4-year-old boy in South Carolina has died, and his parents are accused of failing to seek medical care.

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

According to an affidavit from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), at the time of his death, the 4-year-old boy appeared to be “underweight for his age and malnourished.”

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SLED officials said the boy weighed 21 pounds, he had sunken eyes, and his ribs and bones “were very visible.”

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

Both are accused of causing the 4-year-old boy’s death “under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to life,” per the affidavit.

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

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

According to The State and The Post and Courier Greenville, citing the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Latimer was employed by the South Carolina Highway Patrol and was fired after the agency learned of his arrest. He was a Lance Corporal stationed with Troop 3, which encompasses Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg counties.

In an obituary, Isaiah is remembered as “the most beautiful baby boy.”

“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,” the obituary reads.

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PEOPLE has reached out to the Oconee County Coroner’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for comment.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.