November Trial Date Scheduled For Fire Chief, Wife On Child Abuse Charges

A November 24 trial date has been scheduled for a Laramie County Fire Chief and his wife on charges of aggravated child abuse and conspiracy to commit child abuse.

49-year-old Darrick Mittlestadt and his 48-year-old wife Angela are charged in connection with the alleged abuse of a 13-year-old boy who they adopted in 2019 while living in Colorado.

Darrick Mittlestadt has been the Fire Chief of Laramie County Fire District #1 for several years. It's not known whether he still holds that position.

Both Mittlestadts entered pleas of  ''Not Guilty" to the charges in the District Court of Judge Peter Froehlicher on Thursday. If convicted on all charges, they could be sentenced to 25 years in prison on each count as well as potential fines of up to $10,000 per count.

Both Mittlestadts are currently out on bond. They turned themselves in at the Laramie County Jail on July 28.

Court Documents Allege Boy Was Fed One Meal A Day, Weighed 55 Pounds At 13

According to court papers in the case, the boy, identified as EM, was restricted to one meal a day. When he was taken to Children's Hospital in Colorado on June 24 he allegedly weighed only 55 pounds and had no detectable levels of Vitamin D.

Staff at the hospital also said they couldn't find evidence of any kind of medical condition that would cause him to be so thin and malnourished. The boy allegedly told the Child Advocacy Project in Casper that he was allowed one meal per day of white bread, ham, and vegetables.

But the boy's paternal grandparents told investigators that when they watched him the boy had an appetite and could really "clean a plate." They also said they never had any behavioral issues, despite reports from Angela Mittlestadt that she had a hard time dealing with him and that he refused to do schoolwork.