PONTIAC, MI – A Michigan couple and their adult son are facing child torture and abuse charges after authorities discovered two severely malnourished boys locked in a bedroom and subjected to military-style discipline, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
Auturo Bazan-Perez, 43, and Dulce Crystal Bazan Castillo, 42, are each charged with multiple counts of first-degree child abuse and child torture. Their 21-year-old son, Carlos Bazan Hernandez, faces similar charges in connection with the treatment of the victims, ages 9 and 11.
Hospital staff contacted deputies on Nov. 17, 2025, about a 9-year-old boy who was severely underweight and covered with bruises. The parents claimed he suffered from an unspecified medical condition when they brought him for treatment, according to the sheriff’s office.
The child’s condition was critical – he had been intubated and lost his pulse by the time deputies arrived. Medical staff airlifted the 9-year-old to another hospital for specialized care.
During the investigation, authorities found the boy’s 11-year-old brother living in similar conditions at the family home. Child Protective Services immediately removed the older child, who was also severely emaciated and required hospitalization.
The boys had previously attended public school where they received at least two meals daily. However, their parents withdrew them from school in September, allegedly telling officials the family was moving to Mexico or another state, according to investigators.
After leaving school, the boys’ diet consisted mainly of sporadic meals of rice, the sheriff’s office stated. They were confined to their bedroom with windows screwed shut and painted glass to prevent them from seeing outside.
Medical records show the 9-year-old weighed just 33 pounds while his 11-year-old brother weighed 43 pounds – approximately half the normal weight for children their ages. Two other children in the home, a 1-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl, appeared healthy and well-nourished. They were also removed from the parents’ custody.
During a preliminary hearing for Hernandez, prosecutors presented photographs of the 9-year-old victim to medical experts. A doctor testified the child was “emaciated – skin and bones,” according to Detroit television station WJBK. Prosecutors alleged Hernandez regularly starved the children and imposed military discipline, forcing them to perform pushups and jumping jacks.
When asked if such emaciated children could reasonably perform these exercises, the doctor testified they absolutely could not. “It horrifies me to think he was asked to do that,” the doctor said, according to court reports.
A pediatrician called it the worst neglect case she had witnessed in more than 20 years of practice. “You could see every rib on both sides,” she testified about the 9-year-old’s condition. “You can see each individual vertebrae.”
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard condemned the case as horrific and heartbreaking. “No child should ever fall through the cracks like this. We will not rest until those responsible are held fully and unequivocally accountable,” Bouchard said in a statement.
All three defendants remain held without bond and are scheduled to return to court on March 12, according to court records. Bazan-Perez and Castillo declined their preliminary examination hearings and were bound over to circuit court, while Hernandez proceeded with his probable cause hearing.
