JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — WARNING: The following report contains graphic details some may find disturbing.
A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrest report details disturbing conditions investigators found a 12-year-old boy living in a few weeks ago.
Mary Bartholomew, 66, of Jacksonville, was charged with child neglect after authorities said the boy, who was in her care, was found near death.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
First Coast Child Protection Team received an anonymous tip about the child, a Jacksonville police arrest report states.
The report gives graphic detail on what investigators found when they checked on him.
“The victim is listed as covered in feces with numerous severe skin ulcers from pressure,” the report states. “Lice was present in his hair and on his body.
“The victim is ‘locked into’ a fetal position and has been, according to the suspect for six months,” the reports.
Bartholomew told investigation she was feeding the boy 8 ounces of cow’s milk 5 to 6 times a day with ‘purees’, the report states.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
A doctor listed in the report states the child’s nutrients were insufficient and he didn’t receive enough calories. The boy weighed about 30 pounds, the report states.
“The victim was prescribed Pediasure. However, [he] has not been receiving this, and has had no apparent medical care for years,” the doctor states in the report. “The victim suffers from severe anemia and muscle wasting from malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies.
“The victim is in danger of severe illness or immediate death upon the onset of any infection,” the doctor states. “... Without any meaningful and enduring change in caregiving, the victim will likely die.
“I observed pictures of the victim covered in feces, dried urine, and covered in large open sores on his back and pressure points,” the doctor states. “The victim’s fingernails, teeth, and ear canals were all dirty, unbrushed, and unmanicured. His hair was matted and full of lice and debris.”
The child is both non-verbal and non-ambulatory (unable to walk or move around independently), according to the report.
Parent gave boy to Bartholomew
Bartholomew arrived a Jacksonville police headquarters on March 27 for a scheduled interview with detectives. She told investigators she assumed primary caregiver status of the boy in September 2021.
“She did not obtain any legal guardianship paperwork and did not attempt to obtain those papers from the victim’s parents,” the detective noted in the report.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Bartholomew told investigators she was contacted by the boy’s father and informed he’d “like her to adopt the victim,” the report states. “However, she did not agree to do this and did not pursue power of attorney status over the victim.”
Bartholomew argued that she did bathe, feed, and treat the boy daily, according to the report.
Bartholomew was placed under arrest and the child was taken to Wolfson Children’s Hospital.
Bartholomew posted the $2,503 bond and was released from Duval County jail on March 28. She’s scheduled to be arraigned in Duval County Circuit Court on April 17.
Read: Clay County family taking legal action against the school district over hazing claims
Read: Florida DOGE targeting public universities and colleges
Read: ‘She decided to let him in’: Documents reveal what led up to a stabbing, manhunt in Fernandina Beach
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
