Couple Arrested for Alleged Abuse of Emaciated 5-Year-Old as Stepdad Allegedly Says 'He Is Not My Responsibility'

A Florida couple has been arrested Tuesday for the alleged abuse of the mother’s 5-year-old son who weighed 25 pounds, PEOPLE confirms.

According to the boy’s stepfather’s arrest report from the Daytona Beach Police Department, the Department of Children and Families visited the home of Brian Hall, 29, and Naomie Hall, 24, on June 28 to investigate an allegation of child neglect. There they found the boy, who appeared dehydrated and thin, eating small pieces of cereal off the “filthy” floor, police alleged.

Brian allegedly told a Child Protection Investigator, “He is not my responsibility. I’m not his father. I come from a rich and white family.”

Brian said the couple’s two younger children, who are Brian’s biological children, “are taken care of,” according to the report.

The alleged victim, who is unable to speak, walk or stand, was transported to Halifax Hospital on July 28. The boy weighed only 24.9 pounds, which police said did not register on a growth chart for his age. He also allegedly had high sodium level, which is a sign of dehydration, according to the report.

He was admitted to ICU in case of seizures and cardiac arrest, according to his mother’s arrest report.

The boy was receiving physical therapy and speech therapy, police said.

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Naomi allegedly told officers that she does not communicate with the victim, claiming she determines his needs by his facial expressions.

She also allegedly admitted she did not give the child medication prescribed by a doctor for appetite stimulation because it made the victim sleepy and “did not work for him,” according to the report.

Naomi, who was arrested June 29, is accused of child neglect causing great harm. The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported that she has been released from the Volusia County Branch Jail on $35,000 bail.

Brian is charged with failure to report abuse, neglect or abandonment. He is currently being held on $5,000 bail.

It is unclear if either had entered a plea or retained an attorney who could comment on their behalf.

The Department of Children and Families took custody of the couple’s two younger children, according to Brian’s police report.