The girl weighed about 10 pounds and the boy was around 21 pounds, according to juvenile court records. The boy also reportedly had bruises on his legs.
Both Henry-Reed and Shade have pleaded not guilty.
Montgomery County Juvenile Court records show similar allegations against the two were made in 2018.
The boy was admitted to Dayton Children’s Hospital on Jan. 24, 2018 and March 16, 2018 due to concerns about his weight and malnutrition, court records say. He was approximately 3 and 5 months old at the times of those admissions.
Court records from April 2018 note that Henry-Reed was 15 years old and Shade was 20 when the boy was born. Shade at that time was on probation following a March 25, 2018 arrest for failing to appear to a court hearing for discharging a firearm near a prohibited premises.
Prior case
During the January 2018 hospitalization, the boy gained weight, the documents said. He was released on Jan. 27, 2018. When he was readmitted to the hospital less than two months later, he had lost weight and was diagnosed with severe chronic malnutrition.
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
“The child had not been diagnosed with any underlying medical cause that would explain his inability to gain weight,” court documents say.
During an X-ray to confirm the placement of his intubation, doctors discovered fracturescto one of his ribs and to his left arm. His parents and grandmother could not explain how he got those injuries, according to the case file.
“(A doctor) also reported that the child’s ability gain weight on a proper feeding regiment during his January hospitalization and his subsequent weight loss since being released from the hospital suggests that the child is not receiving adequate calories at home,” court documents read.
On April 2, 2018, the day the boy was scheduled to be discharged, a juvenile court judge granted Montgomery County Job and Family Services’ Children Services Division interim temporary custody of the boy.
Eight months later, in December, the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office filed a motion to reunite the boy and Henry-Reed.
Court records noted she had made “significant progress” on her case plan, completed parenting classes, had a visitation assessment and began unsupervised visitation in September.
“She has successfully demonstrated the skills necessary to appropriately parent the child,” according to an affidavit submitted by Montgomery County Children Services. ”It is in the best interest of the child to be reunified with Mother as they are bonded and Mother has shown that she is willing and able to appropriately care for the child.”
The affidavit noted Shade made some progress on his case plan and “demonstrated to (Children Services) willingness and determination to meet his case plan goals.”
It says he visited the child consistently and was involved with Help Me Grow Services for his son.
In January 2019, juvenile court granted Henry-Reed’s mother temporary custody of the boy. Custody was returned to Henry-Reed in March 2019. The order noted Henry-Reed was still a minor.
New details in current case
On Jan. 17, Henry-Reed took her 15-month-old daughter to a clinic, where the girl was transported to Dayton Children’s Hospital. The sheriff’s office was called because the child was allegedly severely malnourished.
“At this time, it was unknown if (the girl) would survive the requisite life-saving treatment,” says a memo from the county seeking emergency custody. “(The girl’s) bones were protruding through her skin, the child has no bone structure, and her lips were dry and cracked.”
When children services met with Henry-Reed, she said the family had been sick with COVID-19 in September and December. She added the girl had not eaten for two days, which was why she took her daughter to the doctor, according to court documents.
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Henry-Reed and Shade both reported the children were being fed. Neither reported noticing the bruises on the boy, according to a court memo.
Henry-Reed said Shade was the primary caretaker during the day because she worked night shifts.
“Mother reported knowing (the girl) was fed as there were times she would feed the child and would see empty baby food jars in the trash,” the memo says.
On Feb. 2, a juvenile court judge granted interim temporary custody of both children to Montgomery County Children Services.
Henry-Reed was arraigned in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Thursday. A not guilty plea was entered and her bond remained at $500,000. Henry-Reed was released on bond in January.
Henry-Reed’s defense team at Rion, Rion & Rion LPA Inc. previously said they will use everything they can to defend her.
Her attorney, Catherine H. Breault, also said Henry-Reed has the full force of the office behind her.
A not guilty plea was entered for Shade during his arraignment last week. His bond is also at $500,000. As of Friday morning, he was in custody at the Montgomery County Jail.
Shade’s attorney has not responded to a request for comment.
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