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Left to right: Casey Cano, Mary Cano (Crawford County Jail via WKBT).
In a deeply troubling case emerging from Wisconsin, a couple is accused of inflicting severe abuse on their six children over several years. Allegations suggest these children were starved and resorted to eating mold, grass, and dog food due to the extreme neglect and abuse they suffered.
Casey Cano, aged 38, and Mary Cano, aged 35, are facing multiple charges, including repeated physical abuse of a child causing great bodily harm and child neglect. Additionally, they are charged with exposing a child under 13 to sexual acts, as detailed in the court records.
Documents obtained by the local CBS affiliate WKBT reveal that the reported abuse occurred from January 2018 to April 2022 in Crawford County, southwest Wisconsin. The children recounted being denied food for extended periods as punishment, leaving them to scavenge for sustenance from inedible sources like dog food and grass.
One particularly harrowing incident involved forcing a child to wear a diaper for three days as a form of punishment. The Canos are also accused of using a belt to administer beatings, which sometimes left welts or broke the skin.
According to reports from ABC affiliate WXOW, the abused children were between the ages of 1 and 9 at the time. Disturbingly, the physical abuse allegedly began when some of them were as young as 3 months old, underscoring the severity and duration of the mistreatment they endured.
Charges indicate that Casey Cano was the aggressor, while Mary Cano — whose charge has a “party to a crime” modifier — did nothing to stop it.
This isn’t the first time the suspects were accused of abusing children. Both were charged in 2022 with the repeated sexual assault of the same child. Casey Cano pleaded no contest that same year and was sentenced to 10 years in prison with all but one year stayed, and five years of probation. Mary Cano pleaded guilty to the same charge and received a five-year prison sentence with all but 90 days stayed, according to court records.
WXOW reports the investigation into the latest charges began in December. Both subjects were arrested at the end of March and have since posted bond.