A preliminary hearing has been postponed for a De Soto woman who faces charges in Johnson County District Court alleging she kept her starving 6-year-old son in the attic of her home.

The hearing for Rachel Perez, who is charged with child abuse, aggravated child endangerment and attempted murder, originally was scheduled for Tuesday. It now will be held Feb. 22.

Perez’s defense attorney, John Boyd, who was assigned to the case by the public defender’s office, informed the court on Tuesday morning that he would be withdrawing as Perez’s attorney because of a conflict. Boyd refused to elaborate, saying it would violate confidentiality rules.

Perez is being held on $250,000 bond.

“I can’t wait for it all to be over,” she said when she learned of the continuance.