Complaint: Grand Rapids couple charged with child torture including abuse, food deprivation

A criminal complaint more than a dozen pages long alleges a Grand Rapids, Minnesota couple has abused a child on multiple occasions, including physical harm and depriving a child of food.

Criminal complaints filed against Jaymeson Patrich Wahlstrom, 27, and Vivian Rose Wahlstrom, 24, both of Grand Rapids, show each has been charged with one count of child torture.

The complaints state an investigation began in early October after Itasca County investigators received a report of a child with bruising. During an interview with the child, police asked about the bruises and if the child felt safe. The child said they “did not want to talk about it” and “did not want to get in trouble.”

A teacher told police that reports had been previously made about the same student being bruised.

Grand Rapids police say they found videos captured by a Google Nest camera recording incidents that include physical abuse, name calling and more going back to early September.

The complaint goes on to say the child would be stepped on, kicked and hit. At one point, one of the suspects tells the child “I’m going to kill you”, according to the document, which goes on to say that one of the suspects told police the child ate paint chips off the wall.

According to the complaint, the child would also be left alone in a room without any toys and would play with an empty McDonald’s box to stay occupied.

Both Vivian and Jaymeson were scheduled to appear in court at 11 a.m. Friday. As of 1:30 p.m., the court website hadn’t reflected to show what had happened during the hearing.

The Itasca County Attorney issued the following statement to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS regarding the alleged abuse case:

“Following a diligent investigation undertaken by the Grand Rapids Police Department, the Itasca County Attorney’s Office has filed Child Torture charges against Vivian and Jaymeson Wahlstrom. The evidence supporting these charges is primarily in the form of numerous videos taken from a camera within the Wahlstrom home that depict the Wahlstroms engaging in barbaric assaults against a child in the home. These heinous crimes are without precedent in Itasca County and rank highly amongst some of the most abominable child abuse cases ever encountered in Minnesota. The Itasca County Attorney’s Office is treating this case with the seriousness that it deserves and will seek an outcome that is commensurate with this reprehensible conduct and in the best interests of the child-victim.”

Jake Fauchald, Itasca County Attorney

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reporter Eric Chaloux is following this story and will have updates during the evening newscasts.