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When Philip Arenz finally called 911, his 24-year-old son was emaciated with bed sores across his body.
Jason Arenz was born with cerebral palsy and had always lived with his family in their Norfolk home. He graduated from high school in 2013, did well and was active, according to prosecutors. His mother, Georgia Arenz, was his primary caregiver.
But roughly five years later, in May 2018, hospital staff would describe him as “skin and bones.” When they opened the blankets, flies, maggots, dirt and feces were on him. One person thought he was looking at a “dead young person” until Jason looked at him, according to prosecutors.
He weighed less than 54 pounds.
For his role in the abuse and neglect of his son, Philip Arenz, 57, will serve three years in prison.
Georgia Arenz, 56, was previously sentenced to five years in prison.
Under an agreement Thursday in Circuit Court, the father pleaded guilty to two counts of felony abuse or neglect of an incapacitated adult. Judge Junius Fulton III then sentenced him to 20 years, with 17 suspended, an amount agreed upon by the defense and prosecution as part of Arenz’s plea.
During the hearing, Fulton looked through a stack of prosecutors’ evidence in the case, including photographs. He said the images were “indeed horrific.”
“I was surprised to learn he survived,” Fulton said.
Jason needed more than two months of hospitalization and eventually was moved to a residential setting. He and his guardian testified at an earlier hearing. The guardian was consulted about Philip Arenz’s plea agreement, prosecutors said.
Philip Arenz called 911 on May 22, 2018. He wanted to take Jason to the hospital but was worried his wife would oppose the idea, according to a summary of prosecutors’ evidence.
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After police arrived, Arenz took his son to the hospital.
Arenz lived in Gloucester on the weekends and told hospital staff he was a truck driver and hadn’t seen his son for several weeks because he was on the road.
Jason was malnourished, anemic and needed transfusions. He had pressure ulcers in various stages on his body, and his extremities were contracted. Medical staff shaved his matted hair and bathed him on a stretcher in a specialized room, according to prosecutors. Jason didn’t speak or appear to understand when a detective tried to talk with him.
Today, more than two years later, Jason still receives treatment, prosecutors said.
Skin has regrown over his wounds and he can now sit three times a day for 20 minutes. He can now eat. He can laugh and joke and communicate.
Recently, he was able to start wearing shirts.
Margaret Matray, 757-222-5216, margaret.matray@pilotonline.com