Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Sandra Yi ReportingA Utah soldier serving in Iraq is back home tonight, facing a tough situation. Her boyfriend is in jail, accused of starving her five-year old daughter, whom she'd left in his care.
A friend of Michael Bowden told us he loved the girl like his own, but the girl's grandfather says recent pictures of her tell a different story.
Pictures show what five-year old Jade looked like in May. In three months, she had wasted away to 12 pounds.
Rafael Ferrando, Jade's Grandfather: "It was skeleton with skin. I couldn't believe my eyes."
Rafael Ferrando was shocked by the drastic change. He last saw his granddaughter earlier this year. Jade has cerebral palsy and can't walk or talk, but she was a seemingly healthy 35 pounds.
Rafael Ferrando: "How is that possible how a human being can do something like this to another human being?"
Jade's mother, who's in the army, left for boot camp in October and has been in Iraq since May. She left Jade in the care of her boyfriend, Michael Bowden. The couple was engaged.
Rafael Ferrando: "Some people call it love, I'm older. Probably I call it stupidity, I don't know."
Ferrando says in June, a previous landlord filed an abuse complaint against Bowden with the state. Child welfare workers say they made numerous attempts to contact him. Ferrando says Bowden disappeared.
Rafael Ferrando: "He changed address. I lose address, I lose phone, I lose everything."
On August 18th, he tracked Bowden down to a home in West Valley City.
Rafael Ferrando: "He never let me in. I waited outside for over a half an hour, and I said, ‘I'm not leaving here, I came to see jade and I want to see her.'"
Ferrando called 9-1-1, but police say at the time they didn't have the authority to take the girl. A few days later, Ferrando got temporary custody and took Jade to the hospital. Doctors told him, had she not gotten medical care, she would have died. Still, Ferrando says he won't judge Bowden.
Rafael Ferrando: "I leave that in the hands of justice. For me, my only goal is having my granddaughter in better health."
Police are also investigating allegations that Bowden misused money that was put into an account for Jade's care.
As for Jade, she's in the hospital and her family says she's improving and has gained some weight. The army has given her mother a 15-day leave, but she hopes to get that extended.
A fund has been set up for the victim at any America First Credit Union under the name Jade.
