Mother In Malnourishment Case Pleads Guilty, Faces 10 To 16 Years In Prison

DENVER (CBS4) - A woman accused in the malnourishment and mistreatment of her daughter pleaded guilty to child abuse charges on Monday.

According to Lynn Kimbrough with the district attorney's office, Kathleen Sanchez, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury and faces 10 to 16 years in prison when she's sentenced in September.

"The case came to light on Feb. 2, 2012, when an off-duty law enforcement officer saw the family in a store and reported his concerns. The victim, who weighed only 19 pounds, was taken to a local hospital for treatment," Kimbrough said in a statement.

Kathleen Sanchez's husband, Kenny Sanchez, 30, is also charged in the case. Kimbrough said the couple "failed to appear at their scheduled trial in July of last year and remained at-large until they were arrested in Foley, Alabama in December 2014."

Kenny Sanchez is scheduled to appear for a pretrial conference on July 6.