US mother found guilty of starving 18-month-old son to death

Vegan woman, her husband went to sleep when the toddler started to struggle to breathe

A Florida mother has been found guilty of starving her 18-month-old son to death after feeding him only vegetables, fruits and breast-milk.

Sheila O'Leary, a vegan woman, was convicted by a local court last week and faces life behind bars, with the sentencing scheduled for July 25.

The toddler, Ezra, had died in 2019 after developing complications from malnutrition, Mail Online reported.

The 39-year-old and her husband were charged in 2019 as the reason for the boy's death was revealed.

According to doctors, the boy had not been fed for at least a week before he breathed his last.

The duo had noticed Ezra having trouble breathing, but they chose to go to sleep. When they woke up, he had stopped breathing entirely.

During the trial, prosecutors observed that the woman chose to disregard the baby's cries and visible bones due to malnutrition.

The couple also had two other children – a three-year-old and a five-year old, both severely malnourished.

All three were given a diet consisting of mostly mangoes, bananas, avocados and rambutans.

The victim was never taken to a physician for his conditions.