A Wyoming fire chief and his wife are accused of starving and abusing their 13-year-old adopted son, causing him to be “wafer thin” and “severely malnourished” to the point where he weighed 55 pounds when the alleged abuse was discovered, according to police.
Darrick Mittlestadt, Chief of Laramie County Fire District No. 1, and his wife, Angela Mittlestadt, have been charged with aggravated child abuse and conspiracy for the alleged mistreatment, according to local police.
On Tuesday, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office informed Law&Crime that the Mittlestadts were facing charges after surrendering on Monday. Brandon Warner, Public Information Officer, confirmed that Angela Mittlestadt claimed in police interviews that the couple took in the child six years ago.
“F—ed up kid with trauma,” Angela allegedly said to an investigator. “I’m an idiot and thought I could help him,” she said, according to Warner.
The Cowboy State Daily and Wyoming News Now obtained the pair’s arrest affidavit, which accused them of starving the 13-year-old because of how he “behaved.” The boy allegedly told investigators that he was given crackers and protein shakes as a reward, and that his bedroom door had been blocked for about two years.
According to the affidavit, the teen told a police officer that he was only allowed to eat one meal per day because there was no point in giving him food.
According to the document, his ribs, collarbones, and “other bones and joints” were “protruding and clearly visible” on him because of his thin build. He also lacked “much of the hair on his head.”
Angela Mittlestadt told investigators that Darrick Middlestadt works frequently and that it was “overwhelming” for her to deal with the 13-year-old and another younger child in the house, according to officials. According to authorities, Darrick Middlestadt accepted a significant portion of the blame for what occurred during his police interviews.
“I failed everyone, because I didn’t do my job,” Darrick allegedly stated.
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According to the affidavit, Angela Middlestadt dropped the teen off at a Youth Development Center in Douglas in June and instructed him to inform a representative there that he “needed somewhere to live.” When asked why she would do that, the boy told the interviewer that he “wasn’t very nice and did stuff he shouldn’t have done such as wetting the bed and picking on himself.”
The boy, who is originally from Colorado, was taken to Colorado Children’s Hospital for medical treatment on June 24 at a weight of 55 pounds, according to police. The malnutrition was not recent and was accompanied by stunted bone growth and joint development, according to pediatricians who treated the child.
The Laramie County Fire District #1 did not respond to Law&Crime’s request for comment on Tuesday.
