Pa. couple pleads guilty in case of child abuse, starvation

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania couple has pleaded guilty in a case where prosecutors say three children were so starved for food they peeled paint off the walls to survive.

Both Joshua and Brandi Weyant pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of aggravated assault, conspiracy, false imprisonment, unlawful restraining and child endangerment.

Police acting on anonymous tip discovered the three children, a 6-year-old boy and two girls, ages 4 and 5, locked inside a room at the couple’s Halifax Township home in December. Prosecutors say two of the children were close to dying of malnutrition.

While the Weyants raised the children, they were not their biological parents. Prosecutors say the children are in foster care.

The Weyants face a minimum of 10 years in prison during their sentencing scheduled for May.