A police search found an unusually sparse bedroom monitored by a camera as investigators examined allegations involving a severely malnourished adopted teenager.
EL PASO, Texas — A camera pointed into a child’s sparsely furnished bedroom, a lock on the outside of his door and a secured pantry filled with food are among the conditions documented by El Paso investigators after a 13-year-old adopted boy was hospitalized in critical condition, according to arrest records.
The findings became part of a child-injury case against Timothy Aaron Sibley and Katrina Gabrielle Sibley, the boy’s adoptive parents. Both were arrested Oct. 7 and accused of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury after doctors and police raised concerns about the boy’s severe malnutrition, injuries and lack of medical care. Timothy Sibley also faces an additional injury-to-a-child allegation.
Police obtained a search warrant for the family’s home after the boy was hospitalized Sept. 5. Investigators said they found a small air mattress, a pillow and a small blanket in his bedroom. The room had a camera but lacked furniture and toys found elsewhere in the home, according to the police complaint. Officers also reported that the bedroom door could be locked from the outside and had an alarm sensor designed to signal when it opened.
Investigators separately noted that the family’s pantry was kept locked even though it contained a variety of food. Interviews described rules under which the boy was expected to ask permission before taking food. Timothy Sibley told investigators that the child was disciplined for taking food without permission, while Katrina Sibley described such conduct as disrespectful to the household, according to affidavits reported by local news organizations.
The search occurred against the backdrop of serious medical findings. The teenager weighed 33 pounds when examined, according to investigative documents. Doctors reported fractures involving his ribs and spine, bruising, hypothermia, low blood sugar and severe malnutrition. Medical staff also identified pneumonia and a significant infection. Investigators said doctors concluded that his condition indicated inadequate nutrition over an extended period.
The boy’s parents gave investigators differing information about his health and behavior. Katrina Sibley said he had conditions including Joubert syndrome, dwarfism and short-rib thoracic dysplasia, according to court documents, but investigators later wrote that those conditions had not been officially diagnosed. She also allegedly told authorities that she had watched the child through the bedroom camera and at times questioned whether he was pretending to be ill.
Timothy Sibley described household discipline that included push-ups, jumping jacks and spanking, according to the affidavits. He denied hurting the boy. Investigators also interviewed two siblings. The younger sibling alleged that Timothy Sibley had punched and kicked the teenager when he misbehaved, according to the documents. The older sibling told investigators that troubling behavior involving the boy had continued for years.
Doctors described evidence that the boy had spent extended periods with little movement, according to reports based on the police complaint. Investigators also said medical evaluations raised concern about prolonged failure to thrive. The child had been adopted by the Sibleys when he was 2, meaning he had lived in their care for most of his life.
The records provide investigators’ account of the evidence supporting the arrests, not findings of guilt. Criminal allegations must still be proven in court. Katrina Sibley was reported held on a $1 million bond following her arrest, while Timothy Sibley’s combined bond was reported at $265,000. No final disposition of the charges had been announced as of Friday.
Author note: Last updated October 16, 2026.