Pa. woman fed baby nuts, berries; charged with endangerment

A Pennsylvania mother, who family members say was vegan obsessed, was charged with child endangerment after allegedly feeding her infant son only small amounts of nuts and berries, causing him to be malnourished, news reports said.

Court records indicate that Elizabeth Scarlett Hawk, 30, of Farmington, Fayette County, in the southwestern part of the state, was charged Tuesday with the misdemeanor count.

The boy's father, Jerry Hawk, who is separated from his wife, brought the 11-month-old to the attention of child-welfare authorities. The father told them his estranged wife was diet-obsessed and only gave the boy fruits and nuts to eat, according to KDKA-TV, the CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh.

The father's sister, Brandy Hawk, told the TV station that her nephew had a severe rash and developmental problems, including not being able to use his hands. She said the boy's mother told her the child had allergies.

Elizabeth Hawk's views on nutrition were extreme, her sister-in-law told the TV station. "She was going to live on water and sunlight."

After the boy's father took his son to the county Children & Youth Services, authorities rushed him to a West Virginia hospital, where the boy was deemed to be malnourished, news reports said. The boy, who is doing better, is now living with his father as are the couple's two other children, the TV station reported.

The mother, who was released on her own recognizance, faces a Nov. 14 preliminary hearing.