Father, girlfriend convicted of starving children
A Southern California father and his girlfriend have been found guilty of torture and child abuse for starving two of his children and beating a third.
A San Bernardino County jury convicted 30-year-old Erik Austin Flores and 23-year-old Mariah Rita Sugg of Hesperia on Wednesday. Each faces 20 years to life in prison when they’re sentenced next month.
Prosecutors say the 4-year-old and 5-year-old children suffered permanent height loss because of their malnutrition and resembled concentration camp survivors when they were found and taken in by authorities earlier this year.
The third victim who did not starve because he was fed at school testified that Sugg would beat him and his siblings, make them do exercises for hours and make them stand in the corner for entire days.