13 siblings, aged 2 to 29, rescued after being imprisoned and shackled by parents
Thirteen siblings, aged between 2 to 29, have been rescued after being allegedly imprisoned and shackled to beds by their parents.
The 13 were found malnourished, extremely dirty and several of them were padlocked to beds in "dark and foul-smelling" rooms in a house at Perris, California in the US.
Seven of the victims were adults, aged between 18 and 29. The parents were taken into custody after being unable to explain to investigators why their children were restrained.
According to investigators one of the victims, a 17-year-old girl, escaped the property and phoned emergency services on a device she took from the home, ABC 7 reported.
She revealed to the 911 operator that she and her siblings had been locked up inside the property by their parents.
On arrival police found the girl who they believed to be only 10-years-old, due to her emaciated state.
As investigators searched the property, several children were found in "dark and foul-smelling" rooms while chained to their beds with padlocks.
“The parents were unable to immediately provide a logical reason why their children were restrained in that manner,” a police statement said.
The siblings' parents David Allen Turpin, 57, and Louise Anna Turpin, 49, were arrested and charged with torture and child endangerment.
They remain at Robert Presley Detention Center where their bail sits at $9 million.
The parents are next due in court on Thursday.
The siblings were transported to Perris Police Station for interview before being taken to hospital.
The victims were provided with food and beverages after they claimed to be starving.
The parents' joint Facebook account features several photos of the family together. In those photos, there are 10 female children and three male children.
