Fire service owner and his wife accused of neglecting their son
25 september 2026 в 05:37
In Wyoming, former Laramie County Fire Chief Derrick Mittlestadt and his wife Angela are accused of abusing their 13-year-old adopted son, who, according to investigators, suffered from severe malnutrition and weighed only 24 kilograms.
On the first day of the trial, September 22, 2025, child abuse physician Dr. Andy Sirotnak testified, having examined the boy after his hospitalization in June 2025. He noted that the child had no muscle mass and described him as looking like a «survivor of a concentration camp» and «extremely ill». Sirotnak also reported that the boy was diagnosed with cachexia—a complex metabolic syndrome characterized by progressive weight loss.
The boy himself also testified, claiming that he was kept in his bedroom all day and fed «one to three times a day». He stated that sometimes he was given peanut butter or ham sandwiches, but mostly he received only what his adoptive parents ate. According to the teenager, he was restricted in food due to his behavior, which his adoptive parents claimed was the reason for their actions.
Angela Mittlestadt, 49, admitted to investigators that it was «overwhelming» for her to care for the boy and another younger child while Derrick, 49, was busy with work. Derrick reportedly took responsibility for the boy’s condition, stating that he «failed in his duties».
The boy’s condition came to the attention of authorities in June 2025 when Angela brought him to the Youth Development Center and told him to say that he «needed a place to live». The boy told a center representative that he was treated that way because he «wasn't very good» and did «things he shouldn’t do».
Angela previously pleaded guilty to child abuse and is awaiting sentencing of 15 to 17 years in prison. Her hearing has not yet taken place, but she is expected to testify at her husband’s trial.
On the first day of the trial, September 22, 2025, child abuse physician Dr. Andy Sirotnak testified, having examined the boy after his hospitalization in June 2025. He noted that the child had no muscle mass and described him as looking like a «survivor of a concentration camp» and «extremely ill». Sirotnak also reported that the boy was diagnosed with cachexia—a complex metabolic syndrome characterized by progressive weight loss.
The boy himself also testified, claiming that he was kept in his bedroom all day and fed «one to three times a day». He stated that sometimes he was given peanut butter or ham sandwiches, but mostly he received only what his adoptive parents ate. According to the teenager, he was restricted in food due to his behavior, which his adoptive parents claimed was the reason for their actions.
Angela Mittlestadt, 49, admitted to investigators that it was «overwhelming» for her to care for the boy and another younger child while Derrick, 49, was busy with work. Derrick reportedly took responsibility for the boy’s condition, stating that he «failed in his duties».
The boy’s condition came to the attention of authorities in June 2025 when Angela brought him to the Youth Development Center and told him to say that he «needed a place to live». The boy told a center representative that he was treated that way because he «wasn't very good» and did «things he shouldn’t do».
Angela previously pleaded guilty to child abuse and is awaiting sentencing of 15 to 17 years in prison. Her hearing has not yet taken place, but she is expected to testify at her husband’s trial.
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
