Mom, stepdad punished 7-year-old by holding him underwater in cold baths, nearly killing him: DA 

A 26-year-old pistillate successful upstate New York and her 24-year-old hubby are accused of nearly killing a 7-year-old boy, allegedly punishing the kid by forcing him to instrumentality a acold bath and repeatedly holding him nether water, yet giving him hypothermia.

Jacklyn J. Balabis and Parris D. Woods were taken into custody this week and charged with 2 counts of first-degree assault, six counts of first-degree attempted assault, and six counts of reckless endangerment, authorities announced.

The Buffalo Police Department, Fire Department, and American Medical Response (AMR) unit astatine astir 10:47 p.m. connected Dec. 11, 2025, responded to the couple's location successful the 300 artifact of Parkdale Avenue regarding a 911 telephone astir an unresponsive child, according to a news release from the Erie County District Attorney's Office.

Upon arriving astatine the address, archetypal responders located the kid and transported him via ambulance to Golisano Children's Hospital of Buffalo. The lad was admitted for attraction of "hypothermia and different injuries," prosecutors said.

Authorities assertion that the defendants were "acting successful performance with 1 another" erstwhile they "intentionally" caused superior carnal wounded to the 7-year-old successful their attraction by "using h2o arsenic a unsafe instrument."

"The defendants allegedly forced the unfortunate to instrumentality a acold bath and held the unfortunate underwater arsenic punishment," the merchandise states. "The defendants are accused of recklessly engaging successful conduct, nether circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to quality life, that created a sedate hazard of decease to different person."

Additionally, connected astatine slightest 2 occasions successful the period earlier the unfortunate was hospitalized, the defendants are accused of knowingly acting successful a mode that was apt to origin carnal oregon intelligence harm to the boy. Specifically, connected Oct. 16, 2025, and connected Dec. 11, 2025, the defendants are accused of "repeatedly punishing the unfortunate by means of carnal abuse, withholding food, forced workout and acold showers."

"These disturbing allegations impact carnal maltreatment and the deliberate deprivation of basal needs," Erie County District Attorney Mike Keane said successful a statement. "No kid should ever beryllium subjected to this level of cruelty — particularly by the hands of those entrusted with their care. This lawsuit demands accountability and we volition prosecute the accused to the fullest grade of the law."

During a Tuesday quality briefing, Keane said that the unfortunate had already made a "remarkable recovery" from the alleged abuse, section CBS affiliate WIVB reported.

Prosecutors' petition that Balabis and Woods beryllium held without enslaved was granted, meaning they volition stay incarcerated successful the Erie County Jail. A justice besides issued an bid of protection.

The defendants are presently scheduled to instrumentality to tribunal for a pretrial league connected March 5, records show. If convicted connected the astir superior charge, they are facing a maximum condemnation of 25 years to beingness successful a authorities correctional facility.

A 3rd defendant, 20-year-old Cassandra Baughman, was antecedently indicted for her alleged relation successful abusing the unfortunate connected Dec. 11, 2025. She is charged with 1 number of first-degree battle and 1 number of first-degree reckless endangerment, records show.