(Lee County Sheriff).
The parents of a 12-year-old Florida boy have been arrested for allegedly causing his death through severe neglect, abuse, and denial of medical care. Qwentosha Massaquoi, 46, and Louis Massaquoi, 47, face charges of aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse after their son died in January 2025 in an “extremely emaciated” and “severely dehydrated” state, court records show.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Louis Massaquoi called 911 on January 27, 2025, reporting that his son was “weak and possibly passed away.” Emergency responders found the boy unresponsive and pronounced him dead shortly after.
The parents claimed the child had been sick for days with vomiting, constipation, and loss of appetite but refused medical treatment, citing religious beliefs though they could not specify their denomination. An autopsy revealed the boy was malnourished, emaciated, and wearing only a diaper at the time of death, told Law & Crime.
Investigators seized the parents’ phones, uncovering disturbing videos allegedly showing Louis Sr. mocking and taunting his dehydrated son. In one video, he reportedly said, “Oh, you’re thirsty? Oh, you want water? You always want water,” while denying him water.
Another showed him poking the boy with a stick and ridiculing him for wearing a diaper. Both parents were present in the videos, suggesting they “were maliciously torturing, punishing, and mistreating” their son, the affidavit states.
Footage from weeks before his death showed the boy healthy and dancing, but by October 2024, he appeared visibly ill. Internet searches from the parents’ phones included “unexplained weight loss,” “distended abdomen,” and, more damningly, “what to do when a child dies” and “what to do when a person dies in Florida” searches made just 10 minutes before calling 911.
The parents also contacted a funeral home around the same time.
Authorities noted the mother received medical care, including a blood transfusion, in May 2025, contradicting their claim that medical treatment violated their beliefs. The Massaquois remain in Lee County Jail without bond and are set for arraignment on July 21.
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