Where in Mexico are the Spring Arbor parents being held?
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Paul and Christy Akeo, a couple from Spring Arbor, have been prison for more than three weeks after being arrested at an airport in Cancún and reportedly charged with defrauding a resort of more than $100,000—allegations their daughter Lindsey Hull. But, where are they exactly?
According to their son, Michael Lemke, the Akeos are currently being held in Centro de Reinserción Social de Cancún, also known as Cereso de Cancún, located in Cancún, the largest city in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo in the southeast of the country. Other penitentiaries in the state are located in Chetumal and Playa del Carmen.
The prison is located on the western side of Cancún, surrounded by woods on all sides except the eastern side, where it is bordered by a road.
Spring Arbor couple held in Mexican prison, daughter says
Hull and Lemke are concerned for their parents' safety, telling 6 News that their parents' time in prison has taken a toll on their health—especially for their mother, Christy.
'My mom has lost 25 lbs. in 20 days due to inability to eat as the prison is serving her food they are aware she is allergic to,' wrote Hull in a . 'She also has a severe rash all over her body they refuse to treat.'
Lemke also told 6 News that Christy avoids most meals due to her allergies and is concerned that her rash stems from how the food was prepared.
'My Mom saw a doctor early on for her rash, but they refused to help and didn't say anything to her, she said,' wrote Lemke in a text to 6 News. 'When she moved to this new area of the jail, she was able to request a doctor to look at her rash again, and they were more helpful but couldn't get her the medication she needed. That's how we learned about her weight.'
Lemke also provided more details on the conditions inside of the prison.
Concern grows over Spring Arbor parents imprisoned in Mexico
'My mom is sleeping in a cell with other people, 'at least one,' but it's been up to 4 including her. They do get time outside it sounds like, but it's limited and always varies depending on the day,' wrote Lemke in a text to 6 News.
The siblings say they have managed to stay in regular contact with their mother, but they are concerned for their stepfather. The family, through their attorneys, has managed to secure medication for him, but say they have not heard from him since he was detained..
'Not too sure how Paul's treatment has been,' wrote Lemke in a text to 6 News. 'So all we've been told was Paul was sleeping in another area with 30 other people.'
The language barrier has served to make things even more difficult for the family, with Lemke telling 6 News that things are not being translated for them. Lemke told 6 News there have been several 'odd situations' that have complicated the Akeos' stay in prison.
'She reports out that it feels, sometimes, there's helpful people, but then sometimes things happen where it feels like they aren't helping,' wrote Lemke in a text to 6 News. 'An example would be when they moved her, they took all of her toiletries she had paid for in her cell and didn't give them back until the next day.'
The Akeos are not the only ones to say Cereso de Cancún has unfavorable conditions.
The , the state-affiliated human rights institution of Mexico, conducted a of penitentiaries in the country last year. The review looked at five separate categories, of which Cereso de Cancún received three poor rankings and two fair for an overall score of 5.76 out of 10.
The report specifically noted that, among other issues, Cereso de Cancún has deficiencies in healthcare and human rights protections, insufficient food services, unhygienic conditions, and insufficient staffing.
A copy of the portion of the report discussing the prison (in Spanish) is available below. The full report can be found here.
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