Religious Father Charged With Beating Boy, 11

An 11-year-old Campbell boy who nearly died from his religious father’s beatings remained in serious condition Wednesday, officials said.

Daniel and Ethel Maye Blomquist were charged in connection with the beatings Tuesday.

Blomquist, 47, told investigators he beat his son, Steven, daily for three to four weeks because the boy was rebellious and “that’s what the Bible says to do,” Assistant Dist. Atty. Cynthia Sevely said.

Patterson said Campbell police were called to the home Friday by one of the Blomquist children after their father realized Steven was having difficulty breathing and told them to call 911, said Sgt. Russ Patterson.

Blomquist, a Stanford University accountant, was arrested when police found the severely malnourished and bruised child.

In a statement, Ethel Blomquist, 50, said her husband administered the beatings with a long wooden spoon to convince Steven to eat and snap him out of his laziness.

The child suffers from an adrenal disorder that makes him appear lethargic, but his parents never took him to a doctor who could diagnose the condition, Sevely said.