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Inset: Jacklyn J. Balabis, 26, and Parris D. Woods (Erie County DA’s Office). Background: The block where the mom and stepdad allegedly abused her 7-year-old son (Google Maps).
In upstate New York, a 26-year-old woman and her 24-year-old husband face serious allegations of nearly taking the life of a 7-year-old boy. The couple reportedly punished the child by making him endure a cold bath and repeatedly submerging him, actions that allegedly resulted in hypothermia.
This week, authorities apprehended Jacklyn J. Balabis and Parris D. Woods, charging them with two counts of first-degree assault, alongside six counts each of first-degree attempted assault and reckless endangerment, as announced by officials.
On December 11, 2025, at approximately 10:47 p.m., emergency responders from the Buffalo Police and Fire Departments, along with American Medical Response (AMR) personnel, rushed to the couple’s residence on the 300 block of Parkdale Avenue. They were responding to a distressing 911 call reporting an unresponsive child, according to a press statement from the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
Upon arrival, first responders discovered the young boy and immediately transported him by ambulance to Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. There, he received treatment for “hypothermia and other injuries,” as stated by prosecutors.
Investigators assert that the accused acted in collaboration, “intentionally” inflicting severe physical harm on the child by wielding water as a hazardous tool.
“The defendants allegedly forced the victim to take a cold bath and held the victim underwater as punishment,” the release states. “The defendants are accused of recklessly engaging in conduct, under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life, that created a grave risk of death to another person.”
Additionally, on at least two occasions in the month before the victim was hospitalized, the defendants are accused of knowingly acting in a way that was likely to cause physical or mental harm to the boy. Specifically, on Oct. 16, 2025, and on Dec. 11, 2025, the defendants are accused of “repeatedly punishing the victim by means of physical abuse, withholding food, forced exercise and cold showers.”
“These disturbing allegations involve physical abuse and the deliberate deprivation of basic needs,” Erie County District Attorney Mike Keane said in a statement. “No child should ever be subjected to this level of cruelty — especially by the hands of those entrusted with their care. This case demands accountability and we will prosecute the accused to the fullest extent of the law.”
During a Tuesday news briefing, Keane said that the victim had already made a “remarkable recovery” from the alleged abuse, local CBS affiliate WIVB reported.
Prosecutors’ request that Balabis and Woods be held without bond was granted, meaning they will remain incarcerated in the Erie County Jail. A judge also issued an order of protection.
The defendants are currently scheduled to return to court for a pretrial conference on March 5, records show. If convicted on the most serious charge, they are facing a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in a state correctional facility.
A third defendant, 20-year-old Cassandra Baughman, was previously indicted for her alleged role in abusing the victim on Dec. 11, 2025. She is charged with one count of first-degree assault and one count of first-degree reckless endangerment, records show.