ST. GEORGE, Utah — Police say a southern Utah mother is under arrest after a seriously malnourished 12-year-old boy was found locked in a filthy bathroom.
The Spectrum newspaper in St. George reported Tuesday that the child's father discovered him in the feces-strewn bathroom that had two latches on the door and a few empty cans of beans in the shower.
Court documents say the child weighed just 30 pounds and was hospitalized.
Police say the woman said the boy wanted to sleep in the bathroom and that she tried to feed him protein shakes.
The 36-year-old Toquerville woman was arrested on suspicion of child abuse. The Associated Press is not naming her to avoid identifying the boy. Her lawyer did not immediately return a call for comment.