Half-brother of 10-year-old Georgia boy found nearly starved to death charged in case

The half-brother of the 10-year-old Georgia who was found wandering a suburb and begging for food after allegedly being starved has also been arrested after his parents were accused of attempted murder.

Ethan Washburn, 19, has been charged with aggravated assault for the strangulation of his younger brother, who weighed just 36 pounds when he was saved by police. 

Washburn, a Tennessee resident, is the biological son of Krista Schindley, 47, who is accused of committing child cruelty alongside husband Tyler Schindley, 46. 

Police in Griffin, Georgia, said Washburn used his bare hands to choke the boy. 

In addition to not feeding their son, the couple allegedly allowed their four other children to 'see and/or hear' physical abuse against the boy on multiple occasions. 

Ethan Washburn (pictured) has been charged with aggravated assault related to the horrific and nearly fatal starvation of his younger brother, who weighed just 36 pounds

Washburn is the biological son of Krista Schindley (left) who is accused of committing child cruelty alongside husband Tyler Schindley (right)

The Schindleys' home in Griffin, Georgia, which is worth an estimated $447,000

Since Washburn lives out of state, it is unclear when he had last seen his younger half-brother or why he has been charged. 

Last month, FOX 5 Atlanta stopped by the nearly $450,000 Griffin home where the family lived and spoke with Washburn who said he was just housesitting. 

'I'm not too close to the situation right now. I'm just actually watching the house. I don't really have any comment at this time on this story,' Washburn said at the time.

Ethan is listed as a branch manager for the same chain of spas his mother was working for before her arrest. 

Authorities said neighbors found the boy wandering on Westminster Circle on May 12 and brought him off the street and called police. 

The boy - whose weight was equivalent to that of the average four-year-old - told police he was trying to go to Kroger to buy food. 

He reportedly begged officers that they not 'make me go back.'

He was taken to the hospital and his current condition is unknown. 

'This child was, simply put, being starved to death, and it is tragic,' District Attorney Marie Broder said in a statement. 

'I truly believe that if he had not gotten out of that home, this would be a very different case,' the DA told local outlets. 

'I'm not too close to the situation right now. I'm just actually watching the house. I don't really have any comment at this time on this story,' Washburn told FOX 5 in May 

Krista Schindley (center right) poses with her eldest son Ethan Washburn (center left) at a Float Spa booth. Ethan has been accused of strangling his younger brother 

The couple have been charged with attempted murder in the case 

The back of the $447,000 Griffin, Georgia home where the Schindleys lived

The starving boy had been kept locked inside a bedroom and was left alone in the house 'for extended periods of time,' court affidavits state. 

During those periods of time, the boy would have 'no access to lights, food, clothing or adult interaction and/or assistance', the affidavit continued.

The Schindleys are also accused of allowing a 'dental injury and disfiguration' the boy suffered to go unattended.

The couple's other children who were in the home appeared to be OK and are currently with the Department of Family and Children's Services. 

The couple has been charged with criminal attempts to commit a felony, cruelty to children, false imprisonment, and simple battery.

In May, Tyler's ex-wife Melissa Waynette claimed one of her kids who lived with the couple had run away - while a second had been denied 'treatment' he needed.

Waynette said those two children she shared with Tyler had also lived in Griffin, Georgia, with the couple until recently.

One of her sons escaped the home two years ago after tracking down Waynette through social media, while the other, she said, was returned to her two months ago.

The couple has been charged with criminal attempts to commit a felony, cruelty to children, false imprisonment and simple battery. Pictured: The couple in court on May 23

Police in Griffin arrested Tyler and Krista Schindley after neighbors found their emaciated son roaming through the streets on May 12

Bikes are seen in the driveway of Krista and Tyler Schindley's home in Georgia 

The couple's next-door neighbor, Kim Seigler, told FOX 5 she had previously worried about the Schindley children. 

'The fact that they're my neighbors... just made me feel bad... like I should've been more observant,' she said. 

Speaking with the media in May, Broder said they would not be releasing any photos of the child 'for obvious reasons' and because they are 'absolutely horrible.' 

'As a mother, I can't comprehend it. As a human being, it breaks your heart,' she said. 'Anybody with a human heart, who looks at them, should be shaken to their core.' 

Krista and Tyler were scheduled to be in court Monday but did not have a lawyer to represent them. 

A judge postponed the case to a later date.