Vegan parents starve 5-month-old by switching out doctor’s formula, Florida police say

Lauren Watson, a detective with the Titusville Police Department, said she encountered a jarring case of child abuse this week.

“I’ve never seen a child to this level,” Waton told WFTV9, “this close to possible death.”

Police say they arrested 31-year-old Robert Buskey and 20-year-old Julia French on Wednesday after discovering their 5-month-old son was starving to death, according to WESH2.

The Florida vegan couple had switched their baby off a doctor-recommended formula that was “consistent with their vegan lifestyle,” police told WESH2. Instead, police say the couple fed the baby a formula made from potatoes but couldn’t explain why. 

The baby boy, born seven pounds and nine ounces, gained less than a pound in his 5-month life, police told WFTV9.

Police say the baby had visible bones and sunken eyes, according to WESH2.

French and Buskey face a felony charge of child neglect, according to inmate records. 

After receiving fluids on Wednesday, the child is already a half-pound heavier, police told WFTV9. He is under the care of the Department of Children and Families.

This story was originally published February 15, 2019 at 9:28 AM with the headline "Vegan parents starve 5-month-old by switching out doctor’s formula, Florida police say."