Jonathan James, 10, Dies From Dehydration After Dallas Parents Deprive Him Of Water For 5 Days

A 10-year-old Dallas boy died of dehydration after his parents deprived him of water for five days, a punishment for wetting his bed, CNN reports.

Jonathan James was forced to stand on a marked "X" in the kitchen of his Dallas home while the 100-degree heat beat down on his back in the non-air conditioned room. After five days without water, Jonathan started showing signs of dehydration and was taken to the hospital on July 25, but could not be revived, the network reported.

"They made him eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The peanut butter got stuck in his throat," Jonathan's twin brother, Joseph, told the network. "They still wouldn't let him have water...I couldn't do nothing about it. Because if I said something, I would end up getting in trouble too."

Jonathan's father and stepmother have been charged with serious bodily injury to a child.

"A totally preventable death," remarked CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin. "Adults failed Jonathan James."

WATCH:

Comments

[ferrygal]

03:24 AM on 09/03/2011

Death penalty is for these evil people.

[J David Castro O]

11:14 PM on 09/02/2011

I really wish Rick Perry would've succeeded in seceding.

[J David Castro O]

11:13 PM on 09/02/2011

It almost seems like they knew of thirst, but didn't know of dehydration...they took him to the hospital.

[Ricardo Valentin]

11:41 AM on 09/02/2011

What kind of human being can see a child's suffering, even one that is not your own, and remain unmoved?

[cafebeege]

03:31 AM on 09/04/2011

A sociopath......they have no ability for compassion, sympathy,.....and even worse some are so unexplainably angry at the world and life they don't even know why they do such horror. Oh, if you asked them, they'd make something up off the top of their head, but it's not the real answer.

I think the ONLY HOPE of making some small improvement in monsters like this, is to make them suffer EXACTLY what they did to another. Since they seem impossible to project and understand the pain of others that they have inflicted. Sometimes like this I wish I was a judge. People over my life have told me I'd make a good one........I'd love to give them just "a taste" of what they did to others. Then MAYBE, just MAYBE they might learn to understand what compassion, empathy and conscience are before they die.

[IamYourDrillThrall]

09:40 AM on 09/02/2011

I can't even read the article. The headline upset me...that was enough. Parents like this should be put behind bars for the rest of their lives.

[Vintage59]

08:40 PM on 09/01/2011

This is Texas. There are millions of good people who live there but they are badly outnumbered.

[boomcat44]

08:38 PM on 09/01/2011

Do we have to waste time with a trial?

[orlandongomez]

07:41 PM on 09/01/2011

Acting ridiculously or absurdly without hurting someone could be part of a good comedy; but when such absurdly act hurts someone, such absurdity becomes a crime. It could be interesting to see those responsible for this child's death been feed-up only making them drink five gallons of water per day each for five consecutive days.

[jlglaze]

05:10 PM on 09/01/2011

Those aren't parents. They are depraved animals on two legs. What a horrible thing to do to a child. They should be given the same treatment, no ifs, ands or buts. How sad for his twin brother knowing his twin was slowly dying and he couldn't do anything about it.

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

06:11 PM on 09/01/2011

Agreed.

[IamYourDrillThrall]

09:41 AM on 09/02/2011

X2.

[Jasmine Howard]

11:40 AM on 09/21/2011

Oh they're not animals; animals care for their young. They're far below animals.

[jgneff]

04:28 PM on 09/01/2011

"Serious bodily injury: !!!! Are you kidding me? The kid is dead. Time to flush these two down the toilet with the rest of the feces. Please just give me 5 minutes with them alone and the problem will be solved. I can't believe there are people in this world like these losers.

[troyrobertdavid]

03:17 PM on 09/01/2011

These two need to be locked up in an aluminum box outside in the Texas heat for 5 days and if they live they can then be sent to jail for manslaughter.

[xkglady]

03:11 PM on 09/01/2011

The father and stepmother deserved to be charged with intentional aggravated child abuse, aggravated first degree murder, imprisonment, cruel & inhumane punishment, neglect, endangerment and that the two young siblings had to witness domestic violent offense and are a product of child abuse as well! How horrific for the young males to fear and witness their young brother being abused to death! Where are the biological father of the 12 year old and the biological mother of the 10 year old twins? Why didn't the grandmother knowing that her grandson was being abused take them and call the Agency for Child Protective Services?
Stepmom and father should be locked up for life without parole and made to endure the same painfully harsh punishment their 10 year old son/stepson died from!

[jlglaze]

05:12 PM on 09/01/2011

i agree with you totally!

[hazelsjam]

02:47 PM on 09/01/2011

This is a real freaking shame...these two need to be put away and then starved to death just like they did to their poor son!

[Korry Ortiz]

01:57 PM on 09/01/2011

thats horrible! he died just for wetting the bed?! really! was it that freakin hard to change his sheets every day?! my God..how some people are allowed to be parents and some arent blows my mind

[xkglady]

01:57 PM on 09/01/2011

How horrendous these young boys having to witness their biological and stepbrother die due to eating a peanut butter & jelly sandwich and nothing to wash it down with, nor did the parents try to save this 10 year old from his air waves being blocked. Sorry, the twin of the deceased is going to live with guilt, fear and trauma seeing the death of his own brother and not being able to defend him! Wondering how long the pair had custody of the 10 year old twins and her 12 year old son? Sounds like the deceased 10 year old wetting his bed is from trauma he sustained living with this woman and her son. My heart breaks for the children to have to be witness to such a horrific unnecessary death! Too bad, no one told on this family! May God Bless the children and may Jonathan James rest in peace