Vancouver couple arrested in starvation death of adopted child

By Becca Robbins, Columbian staff reporter

The adoptive parents of a 15 year-old Vancouver boy who died from starvation and neglect in November were arrested Friday in Stockton, Calif.

Jesse Costillo Franks, 56, and Felicia Adams-Franks, 52, will be extradited to Clark County to appear on domestic violence charges of second-degree murder and homicide by abuse.

A warrant was issued for their arrests on May 28, and their whereabouts were unknown at the time, according to the Vancouver Police Department.

Adams-Franks legally adopted Karreon Franks and his two younger brothers in June 2012 in California; she is their maternal aunt, court records show.

Karreon reportedly had a rare genetic disorder that affected his development and severe autism, to the point he was nearly nonverbal. He was also legally blind and used a cane to get around, according to court records.