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A Florida boy was rescued on Thursday when authorities found the 5-year-old starving, and unable to stand or speak, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
The boy's mother, Naomie Hall, 24, was charged in Daytona Beach with child neglect causing great bodily harm, the Sentinel reported. The local Department of Children and Families got a report of neglect, and did a follow-up at the boy's home on Thursday.
When investigators found the boy, he weighed 24.9 pounds. The average weight for a 5-year-old is roughly 45 pounds, the CDC says.
He was found on the carpet eating pieces of cereal off of the ground. Hall said that she had made no attempt to feed the boy in the previous three or four days.
According to the Sentinel, Hall told investigators that she did not communicate with the boy but knows when he is hungry based on his facial expressions, and when he chews on his hands.
The boy was transported to an area hospital and admitted into an intensive care unit.
Hall and the boy lived with her husband and two other children. It is unclear if Hall's husband will also be charged.
To read the Sentinel's report, click here.
