More on the boy locked in closet.

Police call discovery of locked-away boy 'appalling' 06/10/2003

A city police officer who discovered a child inside a locked closet said he had never seen anything so horrific.

Officers Ben Baltzer and Christina Carlton called Sunday's discovery of an emaciated 7-year-old boy disturbing.

Officers Ben Baltzer and Christina Carlton went to the family's apartment on Sunday afternoon after the child's grandmother called police with concerns about his welfare.

I've been on the force for six years and I've seen homicides, shootings, stabbings, child deaths, but I've never seen anything as appalling or as terrifying as this kid. It was really disturbing said Officer Baltzer.

The officers found Isaac Loubriel, 7, inside a filthy closet, malnourished and wearing a diaper.

He looked like a skeleton. He had no muscle and no fat. He looked like an elderly man.

The youngster, who weighed 36 pounds and had trouble standing, was taken to John C. Lincoln Hospital-North Mountain for treatment.

Isaac is expected to recover. He and three of his siblings were in the custody of Child Protective Services Monday. Two of Isaac's other siblings live with their grandmother.

The child's parent's, Ricardo and Melanie Loubriel, 39 and 28 respectively, are being held at the Madison Street Jail on $500,000 bail each on child abuse charges.

On Sunday, Baltzer and Carlton inspected the apartment, searching for four children and found a darkened room.

After being told that the lights were not working, Baltzer took out his flashlight and pointed it towards a closet which had a mattress in front of it, he said.

"When I started to point it toward the closet, the mother grabbed my hand and pulled it down,"he said.

When Baltzer asked what was inside the closet, he said the woman put her head down and said, "My son."

Carlton removed the mattress, opened the door and found the boy lying on cold tile in a fetal position, shielding his eyes from the light.

The closet, which was soiled with feces and urine, was about 6 feet by 2 feet.

Authorities said the child's parents told police the child had been there since the beginning of the year. The other children were not injured.

The parents pretty much were acting as if he got what he deserved, Baltzer said. They said he was being bad. The mother didn't like his attitude.

Child Protective Services has had prior contact with the family, but state confidentiality laws prohibit officials from discussing the case.

Police said the couple have two other children who live with a grandmother.

It was unclear if it was the same woman who had called police.

So, not only did the neighbors and his school do nothing to help him, child protective services failed him also, real nice.

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