A 10-YEAR-OLD American boy who died of dehydration after his father and stepmother kept water from him was being punished for wetting the bed, authorities said.

    Johnathan James died July 25 after water was kept from him for five days while temperatures soared to 38 degrees Celsius or more each day, Dallas police said. The boy’s dad, Michael Ray James, and stepmother, Tina Alberson, both 42, were jailed after being charged Thursday with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury.

    Johnathan’s twin brother, Joseph James, and a 12-year-old stepbrother were not injured and are staying with relatives.

    Attorneys for the father and stepmother did not return calls seeking comment left at their offices Saturday night.

    Joseph told Dallas Morning News that his parents put Johnathan in a room without air conditioning and told him to stand by the window. Joseph said that on the day Johnathan died he had peanut butter stuck in his throat but his parents wouldn’t let him wash it down.

    Joseph told the newspaper he wanted to help his brother but was worried he would face similar punishment.

    Johnathan suffered until he collapsed at his father’s Red Bird home and hit his head on the floor. Medical staff were unable to revive him.

    (SD-Agencies)