Maximum sentences handed down for three adults in starvation case

The three adults charged with starving two children and keeping them locked inside a bathroom of a Carson City apartment, each received maximum sentences this afternoon.

The children's grandmother, Esther Rios, 56, was sentenced to 28 to 70 years in prison on two counts of child abuse and two counts of false imprisonment.

Their mother, Regina Rios, 33, received 22 to 55 years on two counts of child abuse and one count of false imprisonment.

Their step-father Tomas Granados, 33, was sentenced to 14 to 35 years behind bars for one count of child abuse and one count of false imprisonment.

Their step-father Tomas Granados, 33, was sentenced to 14 to 35 years behind bars for one count of child abuse and one count of false imprisonment.

The three were arrested after Regina Rios' 16-year-old daughter allegedly escaped Jan. 19 from a bathroom in which she and her 12-year-old brother had been held for five years. The girl weighed 41 pounds and the boy weighed 31 when they were discovered by deputies. The two have since gained weight and are being cared for by a foster family.

The three each pleaded guilty to the charges in September.

According to testimony during the preliminary hearing, the 16-year-old victim testified her grandmother was in charge of her and her brother's care. She said the bathroom she was kept in was part of her grandmother's master bedroom, and when her grandmother was out of town, Regina Rios would release the children from their confine and feed them, "good food."

The girl said the two subsisted on bologna, hot cereal and hot dogs.

The victim also stated Esther Rios would torment her with food and beat her for minor infractions, such as crying because she was hungry.

Three other healthy children found in the home are in the custody of the state.