Theodore Parents Charged With Aggravated Child Abuse After Malnourished Twins Hospitalized

MOBILE, Ala. — A Theodore couple is charged with aggravated child abuse after prosecutors said three of their young children, including 2-month-old twins, were found severely malnourished, with one of the infants so ill that he was taken to the hospital in critical condition and was described in court as close to death.

Sara Sprinkle, 25, and Gregory Sullivan, 30, each face three counts of aggravated child abuse, one count for each child, according to prosecutors. Mobile Police Department officers arrested the two, and a judge set bond in the case during a hearing Wednesday morning, Oct. 21, 2026.

The charges are accusations. Sprinkle and Sullivan are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court.

What prosecutors and police say happened

The investigation began Sunday, Oct. 18, when the couple took one of their 2-month-old twins to USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital in Mobile, according to prosecutors. Doctors there alerted authorities to the infant’s condition.

During Sprinkle’s bond hearing Wednesday, it was brought out that the child was in critical condition and was dying when the parents brought him to the hospital. Prosecutors described the 2-month-old twins as “the most malnourished, dehydrated, emaciated” children they had ever seen.

Three children in all were taken to the hospital, officials said, and two of them were described as near death. Officials said the children were in such poor condition that the Mobile Police Department’s Homicide Unit responded to the hospital. Officials said one of the twins was not expected to survive.

Prosecutors said the case involves the twins and a 1-year-old. The couple has five children in total, according to prosecutors; the other two children in the household were not listed as victims in the charges.

“This is a situation of neglect where one of the two-month-old twins was very close to death. We have very talented doctors that are continuing to work with these children,” Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood said. “I know the circumstances are dire. I hope everybody prays for the best.”

To protect the children’s privacy, South AL News is not publishing their names or other details that could identify them.

Children placed in state custody

All five children have been placed in the custody of the Alabama Department of Human Resources, according to prosecutors.

The Department of Human Resources is the state agency responsible for child protective services in Alabama. When children are removed from a home during an abuse or neglect investigation, DHR takes legal custody and arranges their care, which may include placement with relatives or with licensed foster families. A juvenile court judge oversees those custody decisions in a separate proceeding from the criminal case, and that process is confidential to protect the children involved.

Bond set at $200,000 on one count, $100,000 on others

A judge set bond at $200,000 on the count involving the infant who was in critical condition and at $100,000 on each of the other two counts, according to prosecutors. Each bond includes a 10% cash component, meaning a portion of the amount must be paid in cash for a defendant to be released.

If either defendant is released on bond, the judge ordered the following conditions, according to prosecutors and officials at the hearing:

• No contact with any children, including their own.
• House arrest.
• Electronic monitoring.

Violating conditions of release can lead a judge to revoke bond and return a defendant to jail while the case is pending.

Sprinkle and Sullivan are scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 27. It was not immediately known whether either has an attorney who could comment on the charges.

About the charge

Aggravated child abuse is a felony under Alabama law and is among the most serious child abuse charges in the state’s code. The statute covers, among other things, a person accused of willfully maltreating a child under 18 in a way that causes serious physical injury, or of abusing or neglecting a child in an aggravated manner. Neglect, in this context, can include failing to provide a child with adequate food, medical care or other basic necessities. Penalties depend on the specific charge and the child’s age, and the law treats offenses involving very young children especially seriously.

Charges can change as a case develops. Prosecutors may amend the charges based on the children’s medical outcomes and the findings of the investigation, and a grand jury will ultimately consider whether to return an indictment.

What happens next in court

Criminal cases in Mobile County begin with an initial appearance, at which a judge reviews the charges and sets the conditions of release. That step has taken place in this case. An arraignment is the hearing at which a defendant is formally advised of the charges and enters a plea.

Felony cases in Alabama generally proceed from there through a preliminary hearing, where a judge determines whether there is probable cause, and a grand jury, which decides whether the evidence supports an indictment. If an indictment is returned, the case moves to Mobile County Circuit Court for trial or other resolution, such as a plea agreement. The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

How to report suspected child abuse or neglect

In this case, according to prosecutors, it was doctors who alerted authorities. Under Alabama law, doctors, nurses, teachers, child care workers and many other professionals are required to report suspected child abuse or neglect. Anyone else who is concerned about a child’s safety is encouraged to report it, too; proof is not required, and trained investigators determine what happened.

• If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.
• Reports of suspected abuse or neglect can be made to the Mobile County Department of Human Resources or to local law enforcement.
• The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-422-4453, is available 24 hours a day for anyone with questions or concerns about a child.

Warning signs of neglect in infants and young children can include poor weight gain, signs of dehydration, a lack of routine medical care and a child who appears consistently hungry or listless. Parents who are struggling to feed or care for a baby can reach out to their pediatrician, the local health department or community assistance programs, including the WIC nutrition program, for help.

South AL News will follow the case as it moves through the Mobile County courts.