A couple from Pennsylvania has been arrested for allegedly failing to properly feed their premature twins in the weeks following their birth.
Courtney Soyka, 32, and Marcus Maddela, 45, are facing serious charges, including two counts each of felony child endangerment and conspiracy. According to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, an investigation began in December 2024 after the Department of Children and Youth reported concerns about the babies’ health.
The twins were born prematurely at just 32 weeks on October 7, 2024. They were extremely small, with one baby weighing 4.1 pounds and the other 3.7 pounds at birth. Due to their fragile condition, the newborns stayed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for treatment until doctors deemed them healthy enough to go home with their parents.
However, after being discharged, Soyka and Maddela failed to bring the babies to four important medical check-ups that were scheduled to monitor their growth. When Soyka finally took them for a check-up on December 11, doctors were alarmed by their condition. The twins were found to be “extremely underweight for their age.”
At the hospital, doctors noted that the twins were in the first percentile for weight, meaning they were significantly smaller than other babies their age. One of the babies, who was born at 4.16 pounds, had only reached 5.78 pounds by December. The other, born at 3.74 pounds, weighed just 5.04 pounds at that time. Experts found this weight gain to be far too low for healthy growth.
Medical staff quickly admitted the babies to the hospital for observation. Within just three days of proper feeding, both babies gained weight at a much higher rate than they had at home. This raised serious concerns about their care.
A doctor at the hospital stated that the twins’ ability to gain weight so quickly indicated they were not receiving enough food while in their parents’ care. Another medical professional described the babies’ condition as “very poor weight gain” despite them having no signs of illness, further suggesting that they were not being fed properly.
Following these findings, police arrested Soyka and Maddela. They were taken to jail, and their bail was set at $500,000 each. Authorities continue to investigate the case, while the twins remain under medical supervision to ensure their health and well-being.
