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Couple Arrested For Holding Children Captive After Son Escaped From Bedroom Window
Could this be another "House of Horrors"?
Could another "House of Horrors" child abuse case have been discovered? An Arizona couple has been charged with allegedly abusing their four adoptive children and holding them captive. As People reported, authorities in Tucson have arrested 69-year-old Benito Gutierrez and 64-year-old Carol Gutierrez for abusing their children. They each face charges of child abuse.
Many are pointing to similarities between this incident and the case against the Turpin family.
The children in Arizona were between the ages of 6 to 12. They were allegedly living in squalid conditions, including being locked up in separate bedrooms without lighting.
Authorities allege that the parents limited access to food, water and the bathroom for up to 12 hours at a time. A bucket found in a bedroom was apparently being used as a toilet, reported NBC News.
News of the family surfaced when one of the sons escaped through a bedroom window and went to a nearby Family Dollar store. The clerk, noting the age and bad condition of the child, called authorities. The four children have since been removed from the home. They are currently in the state's care.
Neither parent has entered a plea to the charges. Requests for comment by their attorneys to People were not returned. As KVOA reported, both parents appeared in video court on Wednesday and have a $25,000 bond. They are slated to appear in court on March 5.
The allegations are very similar to the recent "House of Horrors" abuse case in California. As previously reported, David and Louise Turpin allegedly held their 13 kids (seen below) captive until one daughter ran away and went to authorities.
Details from that home alleged that the parents kept food from the children (to the point that the children's growth was stunted) and rationed showers. They reportedly chained the children to their beds for up to months.
The parents were charged with multiple felony counts of torture, child abuse, abuse of dependent adults and false imprisonment. The father was also charged with one count of a lewd act on a child by force. The Turpins pleaded not guilty to their multiple charges.
[Photo: Pima County Sheriff's Department, Facebook]
