Thirteen-year-old Joshua Mendoza's great grandfather is proud to say that he has 25 grandchildren and great grandchildren. He says children are the life of the family. That's why he and everyone else in his Summerville clan is stunned that authorities have charged Joshua's parents with murdering the teenage boy.

Joshua died in his sleep on Feb. 10. The coroner determined that the cause of death was malnourishment. That led authorities to file violent crime charges of murder against his parents. But the family says that doesn't make sense. They insist that the problem is that authorities don't understand the genetic neurological disorder that Joshua had.

He was born with tuberous sclerosis, a condition that causes benign tumors in the brain and other vital organs. His grandmother says that when doctors diagnosed his condition in infancy, they said he would be lucky to live 10 years.

In the years he did live, he couldn't walk and had developmental issues. He found joy in simple things. One of them, according to his family, was that he loved to eat. They say he would pack food away, but his body still withered away.

Last Sunday, relatives say, Joshua's parents were watching the evening news when it was announced that they were wanted by police in connection with his death. Despite their shock and fear, they turned themselves in. They're currently held without bail. Three other children have been taken into protective custody by the South Carolina Department of Social Services.

Authorities aren't saying much about the matter, except that the arrests are based on the findings of the Dorchester County Coroner's Office. A spokesman for the police does say that the investigation is only in its very early stages.

Source: The Post and Courier, "Murder charges baffle relatives," Andrew Knapp, Feb. 21, 2012