Montville (WTNH) - News Channel 8 is learning more about the Montville couple accused of starving two children. According to the arrest affidavit, the one year old baby was playing in its dirty diaper and ate its own feces.
John Berkery, 35, and Christine Berkery, 32, are both charged with two counts of risk of injury to a minor and cruelty to persons. The children, 14 and one year old, are not John Berkery's kids.
According to affidavit, when the baby "tried to reach for more Cheerios, Christine would smack her hand."
The teenager also told police that one day she found her little sister "playing in her poop and she had eaten some of it." When she told her mother "she just laughed."
News Channel 8's Tina Detelj spoke exclusively to Christine's sister, Jennifer Tardy, who now has custody of the 14-year girl.
"I don't feel bad for my sister because she's had several chances, she's had several warnings and she's always chosen the guy over the children," Tardy said.
Health Top Tips Nutrition Love Lifestyle Happiness Weight LossCourt papers reveal that Christine was investigated for child abuse and neglect in Maine and Rhode Island before moving to Connecticut. Each time she moved to a new state and the cases never followed her.
"It's good, it's good because my sister not only ran from Maine but then she ran from Rhode Island," Tardy said.
And the guy Christine chose over her children this time: John Berkery.
"My niece is scared to death of this guy," Tardy said.
Tardy says he would make inappropriate comments to his stepdaughter.
"He would say things to her like what a nice butt she had," Tardy said.
John and Christine have four children each; her oldest and youngest named as victims in the affidavit and her two middle children are in foster care after one of John's sons was accused of molesting them at their Montville home in July.
Tardy says the condition of the one year old is the same in which she found her older niece 13 years ago in Maine. A cycle repeated and now interrupted.
"I'm so grateful for Connecticut because they didn't let her get away with it and I know she was getting ready to run again," Tardy said.
The Berkerys deny the charges.