Parents arrested after 20-month-old hospitalized in severe neglect case

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - The parents of a 20-month-old toddler face felony charges after their daughter was hospitalized in a severe neglect case, court records show.

Stephanie Woods, 35, and Cody Mercer, 34, of Springfield Township, were both arrested on one count of endangering children.

Woods was held at the Hamilton County Justice Center overnight without bond.

She is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

Mercer was arrested over the weekend and released on his own recognizance when he appeared in court.

Police listed the date of the crime as Nov. 11 in court filings and say the abuse happened at the family’s home on Murkett Court.

Springfield Township police allege in court records they failed “to provide proper care for (their) 1-year-old (20 months) girl who was found severely malnourished, dehydrated, weighing 13 pounds, with bed sores all over her body - some of which are so severe they might require surgery - and an overall body temperatue of 80 degrees when she was admitted to Children’s Hospital.

“The victim,” police continued, “is currently hospitalized and is expected to remain there for an extended period of time.”

String of child abuse/neglect cases

This is the latest in a string of child abuse/neglect cases in Hamilton County.

Last week, Kiara Holloway, 25, of Mt. Airy, was sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison for abusing her children.

The next day, a motion was filed asking the court to assign an attorney to her for an appeal, court records show.

Cincinnati police began investigating after a 13-month-old was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries in November 2024. Her indictment also included charges related to brain injuries inflicted on her firstborn child in 2021.

Earlier this month, Kelly Lewis, 52, of Cheviot, was charged with felony child endangering for the alleged abuse and severe malnutrition of her autistic foster child from April through most of August.

The 9-year-old non-verbal boy was so malnourished, he tried to drink dishwater and find food in a garbage can, according to prosecutors.

In September, Angel Holland, 32, of Elmwood Place, and her live-in boyfriend, Aaron Stalling, 34, were charged with multiple counts of felonious assault and child endangerment after three children (ages 9, 8, and 6) were found severely malnourished in their Elmwood Place home.

The 9-year-old boy was found unresponsive and hospitalized in critical condition, weighing only 30 pounds with a dangerously low body temperature.

The children were placed in the custody of Hamilton County Job and Family Services.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.