Tragedy in Wheatfield: Parents Face Manslaughter Charges After 2-Year-Old Drowns Amid Horrific Neglect

A somber cloud hangs over Wheatfield, New York, as a local couple, Christopher and Breanna DeBack, stand accused of horrifying negligence leading to the tragic death of their 2-year-old son, Ezra. The devastating incident, which saw little Ezra drown in a backyard pool, has ripped open a deeply disturbing case of alleged child endangerment involving five other young children found living in unimaginable conditions.

On a harrowing evening in mid-August, emergency services were summoned to the DeBack residence on Sy Road after a neighbor reported a frantic commotion.

What responders discovered was a scene of profound sorrow: 2-year-old Ezra pulled from an above-ground swimming pool, unresponsive. Despite immediate life-saving efforts and a valiant fight at Oishei Children’s Hospital, Ezra tragically succumbed two days later.

The investigation by the Niagara County Sheriff's Office quickly unearthed a far more disturbing reality than just an accidental drowning.

Beyond the unfenced pool, deputies found five other DeBack children, ranging in age from 1 to 8, in what authorities described as truly abhorrent conditions. These innocent young lives were reportedly suffering from severe malnutrition, living amidst their own feces and urine, in a home that defied all standards of cleanliness and care.

District Attorney Brian Seaman painted a grim picture, detailing how the children were not only underweight but displayed signs of extreme neglect.

One toddler, for instance, had a diaper so heavily soiled it had caused significant skin breakdown. The sheer squalor of their living environment prompted immediate intervention from Child Protective Services, who swiftly removed the surviving children from the hazardous home.

Christopher DeBack, 26, and Breanna DeBack, 27, have both been charged with second-degree manslaughter and five counts each of endangering the welfare of a child.

During their arraignment, both parents pleaded not guilty. Judge Michael DiCesare set bail at $100,000 cash or $200,000 bond for each, a testament to the grave nature of the allegations. The couple remains in custody, awaiting further legal proceedings.

This heartbreaking case has cast a harsh light on the critical responsibility of parenthood and the devastating consequences when that trust is allegedly betrayed.

The community mourns the loss of young Ezra and grapples with the profound implications for his siblings, now navigating a future irrevocably altered by such profound neglect. The legal battle ahead seeks not only justice for Ezra but also accountability for the conditions that allowed such a tragedy to unfold.