EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. — After a months-long investigation, an El Paso County couple was arrested on numerous charges, including first-degree murder, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPCSO).
The agency announced that Ryan and Tara Sabin turned themselves in on Tuesday after warrants were issued for their arrests.
The victim died on March 11, according to EPCSO. The agency did not identify the victim, however, an obituary in The Gazette shows that 11-year-old Zachary Sabin died on that date and lists his father as Ryan Sabin and his father's wife as Tara. She is not the child's biological mother, according to the obituary.
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According to an arrest affidavit, Ryan Sabin told investigators the child was supposed to drink water due to a bed-wetting issue.
On March 10, Ryan Sabin came home from work at about 6 p.m. and said the boy was taking sips and throwing the water up, according to the affidavit.
Ryan Sabin said he thought the boy was vomiting because he was drinking the water too slowly and getting air in his stomach which caused the water to sit on top, the affidavit says. He told investigators they made the boy stay in the kitchen to drink the water while the rest of the family ate dinner, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit says the younger children were put to bed around 7 p.m. and the middle children went to bed around 9 p.m. Ryan Sabine told investigators Zachary began complaining that he couldn't drink the water and that his legs hurt, the affidavit says.
Ryan Sabine said Zachary was laying on the floor throwing a fit, according to the affidavit. He told Zachary to get up and kicked his leg, the affidavit says. After warning Zachary he'd kick him again if he didn't get up, Ryan Sabine told investigators he did kick the boy a second time, according to the affidavit.
Ryan Sabine said he put Zachary to bed around 11:15 p.m. and that the boy fell asleep and began snoring, the affidavit says.
He then went to wake Zachary up around 6:15 a.m. March 11 and found Zachary cold and stiff, not breathing and foaming from the mouth, according to the affidavit.
An autopsy report from the El Paso County coroner lists the boy's cause of death as forced water intoxication and ruled his death a homicide. According to the report, the boy was forced to drink four 24-ounce bottles of water over a four hour period without any food. He began vomiting, developing lower leg pain and became non-verbal and placed in his bed, the report says.
The report also noted evidence of blunt force trauma injuries which included a contusion near his left eye and contusions on his left arm and right shin. There were also abrasions on his left hip right thigh and right hand as well as contusions on his head.
According to the arrest affidavit, there were five other children, ranging in age from 2-15 years, in the home at the time.
Ryan and Tara Sabin each face charges of first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death and six counts of misdemeanor child abuse.
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