Nanticoke Police were called to the Greater Nanticoke Area Elementary Center for a 6-year-old who was allegedly severely underweight.
According to police, that child weighed only 20 pounds and had to be transported to the hospital for an evaluation.
Documents explain that the child was reportedly being starved at his mother’s home and had to stay at the hospital for over a month before being placed into foster care.
Police interviewed the child’s mother, 26-year-old Natalie Shaffer and her partner 30-year-old Zachary Vincent both of Pine View Dr. in Mountain Top.
Police say Shaffer blamed the child’s biological father, Matthew Levandowsky, claiming whenever the child would return home from his house, he was way skinnier than he left. Shaffer also told police the child would became violently ill when he got home to her.
Police decided to meet with Levandowsky to see what was going on.
According to Levandowski, he said for eight months he asked Luzerne County Children and Youth to check on his children while under their mother’s care.
Levandowsky believes that LCCY never actually checked on his children.
Police interviewed a witness who said the child would constantly beg for food but Shaffer wouldn’t allow it. The child was allegedly locked in a separate room away from the three other kids that lived there.
The witness also said Shaffer made comments like being “sick of taking care of this kid.”
After investigating medical reports, police did determine that the child had medical issues at birth but that Shaffer and Vincent failed to appear at 50 appointments for follow-ups with his GI specialists and two endoscopy appointments.
In addition to the 50 appointments, Shaffer allegedly cancelled 52 visits.
The child has been deemed severely malnourished.
Police say LCCY removed the child from the home until he gained weight, then returned him to the parents.
The pair is jailed at the Luzerne Co. Correctional Facility.