Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Foster Parents Accused Of Maltreatment
FARMINGTON — Two foster parents were arrested in connection with endangering the welfare of one of their foster children, a 7-year-old boy, according to police reports.
Brien Reed Hall, 40, and Veronica Hall, 39, of 12014 Delaney Court in Farmington, were arrested about 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27 in connection with first degree endangering the welfare of a minor, a Class D felony. The couple was booked into the Washington County Detention Center the next day. Both have since been released on a $15,000 bond with a Sept. 27 Circuit Court date, according to the jail website.
Farmington Detective Justin Collins said he could not release any information about why the boy was in foster care but said the Halls
had seven children in their home between the ages of 4 and 15. The children in the home represented four biological or adopted children and two additional foster children, Collins said.
All seven children have been taken from the home and placed with the Department of Human Services, according the police report.
Collins described the case as “egregious in nature.”
According to the report, Collins received an open investigation Aug. 22 from DHS and Arkansas State Police about a minor boy who had been removed that day from his foster home for his own safety. The Halls were in the process of adopting the boy and an adoption specialist expressed concerns after observing the child in inadequate health conditions, Collins said.
“The juvenile was described as a ‘kid that would be from a third world country,’” the report said. The advocate reported the boy was asking for food every 10-15 minutes, had low weight and was lethargic. He also was observed rummaging through garbage cans looking for additional food, the report said.
According to the report, the boy’s current weight is 35.3 pounds and height is 44.1 inches.
The child was taken to Northwest Arkansas Children’s Hospital for further evaluation and was diagnosed as malnourished with the exact reasoning to be determined, the report said. During a separate incident Aug. 26, according to the police report, the child was rushed to the children’s hospital for respiratory issues and complaints of abdominal pain.
The police report said that photographs of the boy show a “very frail, lean child,” with rib bones, hip bones and shoulder blades all easily visible under the skin. The photographs also show the child has “visible abdominal bloating.”
Collins said the investigation revealed the boy had not been seen by a primary care physician since September 2018. There was not any documentation to show the Halls sought medical advice or help for the boy’s low weight. The investigation also showed the Halls canceled three separate doctor’s appointments over the summer for the boy. The boy has been in the Hall’s house since March 2018, and has lost 9 pounds during that time, according to the report.
Brien Hall and Veronica Hall both were interviewed by police at the Farmington Police Department.
According to the report, Brien Hall said he was a truck driver and traveled and worked long hours. Brien Hall told police his wife was a stay-at-home mom and cared for the children.
Brien Hall told police he and his wife had talked about seeking medical advice for the child but had not done anything about it. Brien Hall indicated he was unaware of the health conditions the boy was facing, the report said.
Veronica Hall said the boy’s low weight was due to food allergies and said the child used manipulation to get more food, the report said.
The police report also said no one involved, the Halls or DHS workers, could explain why medical attention had not been sought to explain the boy’s low weight.