OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – Two boys were found severely malnourished in Pontiac, and authorities revealed they had been unenrolled from school months before their parents were charged with child abuse and torture.
The investigation began when one of the boys showed up at an Oakland County hospital weighing just 33 pounds and suffering from cardiac arrest.
The parents, Arturo Bazan-Perez and Dulce Crystal Bazan Castillo, along with their oldest son, now face charges related to the case.
2 malnourished children
Oakland County deputies said the 9-year-old boy was taken to the hospital on Nov. 17, 2025.
Doctors reported the boy was suffering cardiac arrest caused by malnutrition.
The child required intubation and was flown to another hospital for specialized care.
Police launched an investigation into the parents after they brought the boy to the hospital.
ADULT SON CHARGED:
On Wednesday (Nov. 26), the third suspect in the case was arrested in Waterford Township by members of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Team.
Carlos Jovan Bazan-Hernandez, 24, was taken into custody and is expected to be arraigned on Friday on two counts each of first-degree child abuse and child torture charges.
According to investigators, he is the one who handed out the punishments.
PREVENTING CHILD ABUSE:
How did these children slip through the cracks?
Pontiac School District officials confirmed the boys were unenrolled in September, just three days into the school year.
But here’s the issue: school districts aren’t required to track or verify whether a student enrolls elsewhere.
The Oakland County sheriff wants to change that to prevent kids from slipping through the cracks after three similar cases in Pontiac this year.
“In this case especially, the suffering these children endured might have been stopped sooner had the legislation I called on the Legislature to pass been enacted — a simple, common-sense safeguard that would prevent a
child from being unenrolled from school without verified confirmation of their safety and status elsewhere," said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
Blythe Tyler, the President and CEO of CARE House of Oakland County, says one in five children are victims of abuse or neglect, and many times, they are coached on what to say when confronted.
“Well, there are cases like this that come to the public’s attention; there are hundreds and thousands of others that happen here in Oakland County that don’t ever come to the forefront,” she said.
Tyler emphasized two key things: regular communication with children and reporting suspected abuse.
“The importance of talking to kids often and also reporting suspected abuse. If you can do those two things, this world is going to be a much better place,” Tyler said.
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