Grandparents reveal why 'House of Horrors' parents insisted on having so many children

The Californian couple accused of starving and imprisoning their 13 children in filthy conditions in their home, were deeply religious and believed God had “called on them” to have so many kids, the grandparents have revealed.

David, 57 and Louise Turpin, 49, have been accused of keeping their children, whose ages range from 2 to 29, locked up in the home in filthy, dark conditions.

Police raided the home in Perris on Sunday after a 17-year-old girl, so emaciated that police thought she was only 10, escaped through a window and called 911. When police arrived, they found some of the young people shackled to their beds, authorities said.

Mr Turpin's parents, James and Betty, who live in West Virginia, told ABC News they were "surprised and shocked" at the allegations against their son and daughter-in-law.

They said their son and his wife were deeply religious, and had so many children because "God called on them".

They said the children were given “very strict” homeschooling, and were required to memorise long passages from the Bible.

The address where the children were found was also listed by the California Department of Education as the site of the private Sandcastle Day School, with Mr Turpin listed as the principal.

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The grandparents said the last time they visited California was about four or five years ago. At the time they thought the children seemed thin but appeared to be a "happy family," they told ABC News.

Neighbours reported they rarely saw the children outside the home and couldn’t believe there were 13 of them living inside.

The house was run-down, and when family members were out, they avoided contact with neighbors, Julie Olha told NBC News.

When neighbours did see the children, they appeared “pale-skinned”, “tiny” and “a little malnutritioned,” one told.

"I respected their privacy," she said. "But now it just breaks my heart. It makes me want to cry."

Wendy Martinez, 41, said in a telephone interview that while walking her dogs at about 9pm one night in October, she saw four children installing sods in the front yard under powerful TV-style lights as the mother watched.

Ms Martinez said hello, but got no response.

“It’s just a very odd home,” she said.

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