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Last updated on Wednesday, March 8, 2017
(VIGO CO.) - A nine-year-old Vigo County boy who weighed less than 15 pounds had methamphetamine in his system at the time of his death.
That has prompted additional charges against the four adults arrested in the case.
Cameron Hoopingarner was found severely malnourished in a home in northern Vigo County in late February.
On Monday, the Vigo County Sheriff's Office announced the four adults already facing accusations of felony neglect in the case now face new counts of maintaining a common nuisance and visiting a common nuisance.
Police say 9-year-old Cameron Hoopingarner, who suffered from cerebral palsy and was also blind, died of starvation and weighed less than 15 pounds when authorities recovered his body.
FOX59 news reports that just before 4 a.m. Tuesday, February 21, medical teams responded to a home in the 11000 block of E. Lewsader Avenue in Northern Vigo County. The call was in response to Cameron Hoopingarner in cardiac arrest.
Cameron later died at Union Hospital.
After an investigation, police served a search warrant at the home. They arrested 33-year-old Chad Kraemer, 56-year-old Hubert Kraemer, 53-year-old Robin Kraemer and 30-year-old Sarah Travioli.
Hubert and Robin Kraemer were Cameron's guardians.
All four were charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death and neglect of a dependent. Chad Kraemer and Sarah Travioli were also charged with failure to report child neglect.
"It makes me mad, makes me mad that somebody could do this to a child, let alone a child that has physical handicaps and was blind...was given to a guardian to take care of. And this is how he gets treated? This is what he deserves? To be starved to death? What kind of animals are they?" Sheriff Ewing said.
Sheriff Ewing said photos from the scene reminded him of photos from Auschwitz.
The boy's guardians, Hubert and Robin Kraemer, their relative Chad, along with Sarah Travioli, are all charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death.
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