Hagerstown father charged with child abuse resulting in the death of his son

A Hagerstown man has been charged with 1st degree child abuse resulting in the death of his 6-year-old son who suffered from starvation, according to Washington County District Court documents.

A second child in the home, who also was malnourished, was at Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C., Assistant State's Attorney Dakota Parrish told a judge during a Friday afternoon bond hearing. He said police hadn't yet had an opportunity to interview that child.

District Court Judge Ricardo D. Zwaig ordered Andre Derek Ford, 31, held without bond at the Washington County Detention Center. Zwaig is a retired Howard County judge.

Zwaig noted the "seriousness of this case" and the "level of neglect."

If Ford is capable of withholding sustenance and committing the alleged acts to the child, "I can't imagine what else he would be capable of doing," Zwaig said.

In ordering Ford held without bond, Zwaig noted that he thinks Ford is a possible danger to the community and that the defendant could try to live the jurisdiction.

Hagerstown Police responded to an apartment north of downtown Hagerstown around 12:51 p.m. Tuesday for a report of an unresponsive child, according to charging documents. Police found the deceased boy lying on a linoleum floor with his head and shoulders on a pillow and wearing sweats though his arms did not appear to be inserted into the sweatshirt's arm holes.

Other than the pillow, there was no furniture in the room and the room was bare, according to charging documents and Parrish.

The boy's hair was wet and he appeared emaciated and cold to the touch, police described in the charging document.

Parrish told Zwaig the boy had bruising all over his body. He also had open sores and burns suspected to be "cigarette burns."

The preliminary findings from the autopsy are the boy was dead for more than 24 hours before police arrived, possibly for two days, Parrish said at the bond hearing.

Parrish said the other child found in the apartment had similar injuries, had not been fed and was malnourished.

The other boy in the apartment is 5 years old, according to court documents.

At one point early during the bond hearing, Ford said he didn't abuse a child. He spoke through a video screen, appearing at the hearing remotely while he was at the detention center.

Ford allegedly told police the last time he saw the 6-year-old alive was around 9 p.m. Monday when the brothers were playing in their room.

He explained the boy's wet hair, saying he poured water on the boy's face to try to wake him up after he found him unresponsive, according to court records.

According to the charging document, Ford told police the older boy had been acting out and refused to eat because he wanted his biological mother back in his life. Ford told police the mother was not involved with the children.

Charging documents also state that Ford told police he spanked the boy for his rebellious actions. He also said he had tried putting food in his son's mouth and would sit and watch him to make sure he ate it. He told police he last took the boy to a doctor about a month ago.

Ford allegedly told police there were no furniture in the boys' room because the older boy was rebelling against Ford's new marriage and damaging the items that had been there, according to court records.

Assistant Public Defender Matthew Bronson referred to what Ford allegedly told police, in that the boy was acting out based on his mother no longer being a fixture in his life. Unhappy, the boy was fasting. Sometimes children cannot clearly communicate, he said.

Bronson also said Ford had previously seen a counselor for mental health treatment. While Bronson told the judge he didn't want to disclose details about the mental health treatment due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, he said Ford had since reached out to the counselor due to the distress from losing his child.

Bronson asked for a $100,000 bond at 10%.

Parrish said providing Ford the option of bond was "wholly inappropriate."

Ford was the person responsible for the boy's safety and welfare and the boy died. Starvation is a long, tortuous death that takes weeks, Parrish said.

The boy weighed about 32 pounds, according to court documents.

Add to that, there was another child in the home, Parrish said.

The maximum penalty Ford faces, if convicted on the 1st degree child abuse resulting in death charge alone, is life in prison.

He also is charged with 1st degree child abuse resulting in severe physical injury and neglect of a minor regarding the 6-year-old, according to court documents.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hagerstown man charged with child abuse in death of 6-year-old son