Ariz. parents accused of starving 9-month-old baby

PHOENIX - A Phoenix couple faces child abuse charges for allegedly neglecting to feed their 9-month-old baby who, police say, weighed 7 pounds when he was seen by medical staff March 19, reports CBS affiliate KPHO.

Ryan Morris, 32, told police the baby had not been fed since the beginning of March, according to the station.

His girlfriend, 27-year-old Veronica Diaz, who is also the mother of the victim, told officers she ran out of baby formula on March 12, and had only fed the infant one bottle of water during the day and a little bit of regular milk at night up until March 19, according to a court document obtained by the station.

Diaz told police she had four other children "to take care of and make sure are fed, so she gave up on the victim," court paperwork stated.

During a separate police interview on Monday, Diaz claimed she didn't feed the infant because she wanted her boyfriend "to go away," a court document stated.

According to court paperwork, Diaz claimed Morris had sexually assaulted her around the same time she became pregnant with the victim.

During a separate police interview, Morris reportedly said he had money to buy the baby formula but he had other bills to pay first.

Morris also acknowledged it was wrong of him to spend his money on tobacco products between March 12 to March 19 and not earmark it for formula instead, a court document stated.

He said Diaz had money to buy the formula because she gets a Social Security check for about $600 on the first of every month, according to the probable cause statement.

Morris and Diaz were arrested and booked into jail on one count of child abuse each.