11-Year-Old Colorado Boy Dies After Being Forced To Drink 3 Liters Of Water, Parents Arrested

Parents of an 11-year-old Colorado boy are facing murder charges after he was forced to drink large amounts of water which resulted in his death.

Ryan Sabin, 41, and Tara Sabin, 42 were charged with first-degree murder along with child abuse resulting in death and six counts of misdemeanor child abuse Tuesday (June 15) in the death of their son Zachary Sabin. Zachary was found dead March 11 on his bed in a urine-soaked diaper, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported, citing the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.

The couple was booked into the El Paso County jail and being held without bail.

Jail records show that Zachary also bore signs of physical abuse, according to the publication. Tara, who is the child’s stepmother, told authorities that they required the boy to drink the water because his urine turned "really dark and smelly." He wore a diaper to bed due to a hereditary medical problem, Tara told cops.

The El Paso County Coroner's Office concluded Zachary died of water intoxication after being forced to drink four 24-oz in four hours, without any food. As a result, he began to vomit, developed pain in his legs, and became nonverbal and drowsy before he was put to bed, Colorado Springs Gazette reported, citing the autopsy report.

The autopsy report further stated that blood was found on his left eyebrow and forehead and there were bruises on his head, arms, shin, and buttocks.

Tara told deputies that she thought her son was being overdramatic when asked to drink water, similar to him nagging while doing exercises prescribed by his physical therapist. She told that her son also complained of feeling pain on his feet and shins.

Ryan told cops that on the night of his death, Zachary refused to drink the water and said he was sipping it slowly and throwing it up. His father insisted that he was only throwing up because he wasn’t drinking fast enough and that he had to chug the water as they did it in the army.

Zachary told his father that his leg hurt while lying on the floor and Ryan allegedly kicked him twice in ordering him to stand back up. Ryan told he even carried a nearly limp Zachary outside to the deck believing that cold air would snap him “out of his tantrum.” He also told deputies he bought Zachary inside after a few minutes and put him to bed at around 11:15 p.m.

According to the arrest affidavit, Ryan, a public affairs sergeant in the U.S. Army, placed a 911 call at around 6:15 a.m. March 11 upon finding Zachary in his bed with foam coming from his mouth and blood on his bed.

Angela Tuetken, Zachary’s biological mother, told Colorado Springs Gazette that he was an avid reader and animal lover who aspired to be a veterinarian or zoologist. “He was a very gentle soul,” Tuetken added.

The arrest affidavit showed five other children, ranging in ages from 2 to 15, were also victims of abuse, according to the publication.