How brave teen escaped US 'house of horrors' with photos of appalling conditions

The 17-year-old girl who called police, after breaking away from her family’s home where she and her 12 brothers and sisters were locked up in filthy conditions, is being praised for her daring escape.

The girl, who was so small officers initially believed she was only 10, climbed out a window of her Californian home and used a deactivated phone to call police and provide chilling details of the squalor and “torture” that they suffered through.

When interviewed by police, she used photographic evidence to confirm her claims.

When police arrived at the Perris home, about 110 kilometres southeast of Los Angeles, they found several children shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks in dark, foul-smelling surroundings, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

She and some of her siblings were so malnourished officers at first believed all were children even though seven were adults.

“We do need to acknowledge the courage of that young girl who escaped,' Riverside County sheriff's Captain Greg Fellows said on Tuesday.

“If you can imagine being a 10-year-old and being chained to a bed ... I would call that torture.”

David Allen Turpin, 57, and Louise Anna Turpin, 49, each were held on $9 million bail and could face charges including torture and child endangerment.

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The children, ages 2 to 29, “appeared to be malnourished and very dirty,” according to a press release announcing Sunday’s arrest of the parents.

“The victims were provided with food and beverages after they claimed to be starving.”

The children, who were taken to hospital still dressed in their pyjamas are continuing to undergo treatment.

Neighbours had 'no idea'

One neighbour told Sunrise that she had heard there were 12 children living inside the home but had only ever seen a few.

Despite thinking some of their behaviours were odd, she said she had no idea of the horrors that unfolded behind closed doors.

Andrew Santillan, who lives around the corner said he was in disbelief upon hearing about the case from a friend.

“I had no idea this was going on,” he told the Press-Enterprise of Riverside.

State Department of Education records show the family home has the same address as Sandcastle Day School, where David Turpin is listed as principal.

In the 2016-17 school year it had an enrollment of six with one student in each of the fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, 10th and 12th grades.

The Turpins filed for bankruptcy in 2011, stating in court documents they owed between $100,000 and $500,000, The New York Times reported.

At that time, Turpin worked as an engineer at Northrop Grumman and earned $140,000 annually and his wife was a homemaker, records showed.