A Loveland couple is facing serious felony charges after their 4-year-old son was allegedly found starved and shut inside a padlocked bedroom in a filthy Park Ave. apartment, authorities say. The boy weighed about 27 pounds when he was taken to a hospital earlier this year, and both children have since been removed from the home. Prosecutors say the parents now face felonious assault and child-endangering counts and are due back in Hamilton County court on May 29, 2026.
How the case came to light
The case broke open after the boy's grandmother brought him to Dayton Children's Hospital in February, where medical staff quickly flagged extreme malnutrition, according to WKRC. A welfare check at the family's apartment followed.
A witness told officers the unit reeked of urine and feces and that the 4-year-old had been kept in a bedroom secured with a padlock, WKRC reported. The couple's five-month-old was also examined and found to be physically fine, according to the station.
Indictments and prosecutor response
A Hamilton County grand jury returned indictments this week charging Tyrese Steel with felonious assault and child endangering and charging Alisha Decker with felonious assault, the prosecutor's office said, as reported by WLWT. The outlet quoted the prosecutor saying, "This child suffered unimaginable neglect at the hands of the very people responsible for protecting him."
According to WLWT, Steel and Decker had not yet been arrested at the time of the announcement and have hearings scheduled for late May.
Child's medical history and welfare
A social worker told WKRC the boy had previously been treated for a heart issue, but the family apparently stopped follow-up care. Advocates and officials cited bruising on the child's bottom and knotted hair as additional red flags about his treatment.
The same social worker said the boy had been documented at about 28 pounds two years earlier, suggesting little to no weight gain over a significant period, according to WKRC. The station reports the couple is scheduled to appear in Hamilton County court on May 29, 2026, as the case moves through arraignment and early pretrial steps.
Legal context
Under Ohio law, felonious assault (ORC 2903.11) covers knowingly causing serious physical harm to another person or using a deadly weapon and is prosecuted as a felony. Endangering children (ORC 2919.22) applies when a caregiver creates a substantial risk to a child's health or safety and can be elevated to a felony if it results in serious physical harm.
Sentences vary by the degree of the offense, prior convictions, and aggravating factors spelled out in state law. For full statutory language and penalty ranges, see the Ohio Revised Code for ORC 2903.11 and the Ohio Revised Code for ORC 2919.22.
What happens next
The indictments allow prosecutors to move the case into arraignment and discovery. If convicted, the defendants face felony-level penalties and potential loss of parental rights, officials say, per WLWT. Hamilton County authorities and child-welfare officials continue to review medical records and the broader case file as the matter heads toward preliminary hearings.
Neighbors and community members have voiced shock as the allegations filter out of the courtroom, while the legal system now decides what accountability will look like for the parents and what long-term protections will be put in place for the children.
