OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – The two boys who were found severely malnourished in Pontiac were unenrolled from school months before their parents were charged with child abuse and torture.
The investigation into the malnourished boys began when one of them showed up at an Oakland County hospital weighing 33 pounds and was suffering a cardiac arrest.
The boys’ parents and their oldest son are now facing charges.
2 malnourished children
Oakland County deputies said a 9-year-old boy was taken to a hospital on Nov. 17, 2025. He was suffering a cardiac arrest due to malnutrition, doctors said.
The child had to be intubated and flown to another hospital for specialized care, according to authorities.
Police launched an investigation into the parents who brought the boy to the hospital: Auturo Bazan-Perez and Dulce Crystal Bazan Castillo.
Detectives said they found the couple’s 11-year-old son at their Pontiac home, and he was also severely malnourished. That child was taken to the hospital by police.
The 9-year-old weighed 33 pounds, and the 11-year-old weighed 43 pounds, police said. They are both expected to recover.
Children unenrolled from school
Oakland County deputies said the two boys had been enrolled in Pontiac schools. It appears they had been eating at least two meals per day at school, according to officials.
But they were unenrolled from school in September 2025. Bazan-Perez is accused of telling school officials that the boys were moving back to Mexico or to another state.
The School District of the City of Pontiac and Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Leverette sent a statement to Local 4 regarding the children’s unenrollment:
“The School District of the City of Pontiac is heartbroken by the allegations in this case. We can confirm that two children in this family were previously enrolled in the district. The current school year began on September 2, 2025, and the children were unenrolled on September 4, 2025, after a parent informed the school that the family was moving. The last time district staff saw them in person was at the end of the 2024–25 school year, during which they had excellent attendance.
District staff followed required procedures, and we take our responsibilities for safety, attendance, and reporting very seriously and are fully cooperating with law enforcement and Children’s Protective Services."
School District of the City of Pontiac
Conditions at Pontiac home
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said after the two boys were pulled out of school, they were fed sporadically, and their meals mostly consisted of rice.
They weren’t allowed to leave their bedroom. The windows were screwed shut and the glass had been painted over, according to authorities.
“It’s unconscionable that anyone, let alone parents, would willfully starve children,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said. “The allegations in this case are horrifying. My thoughts right now are with these children and the caregivers working to help them recover from what appears to be a nightmare situation.”
Parents, adult son charged
Bazan-Perez, 43, and Castillo, 42, were charged with two counts of first-degree child abuse and two counts of torture.
Bazan-Perez and Castillo are set to appear in court on Dec. 4 for a probable cause conference.
Their adult son, Carlos Bazan-Hernandez, 24, is also charged with two counts of first-degree child abuse and two counts of torture. Police accuse him of being the disciplinarian.
2 other children in home
Two other children -- a 1-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl -- were living inside the Pontiac home.
Police said the 1-year-old and 4-year-old were fed normal diets and appeared to be healthy.
Both children were removed from the home by Child Protective Services.
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