Four children rescued after 'locked in rooms by parents with bucket as toilet'
Police have rescued four children from their adoptive parents after they were allegedly locked in separate rooms for up to 12 hours at a time with no access to food, water, lights or bathroom facilities.
Benito and Carol Gutierrez, aged 69 and 64, were arrested on suspicion of child abuse after one of the children broke free of their Arizona home and ran to a nearby convenience store to phone police.
When authorities arrived at the home, they found the couple's four children confined to their own bedrooms, with the doors locked from the outside.
Police allege the children, aged from six to twelve, were living in horrific conditions and were forced to use a bucket found in one of the rooms as a toilet.
It’s unclear how long the adopted children had been in the care of the couple and whether or not they are related to each other.
Detectives said the children did interact with others at school where they were fed two meals, while local media reported that neighbours would also provide them with food on occasion.
The children were immediately removed from the home.
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The story draws a startling resemblance to California couple, David and Louise Turpin, who remain on trial for the alleged abuse of their 13 children.
The parents are accused of keeping the children, aged from two to 29, in filthy and fetid conditions, chaining some to their beds and using starvation as a weapon to control them.
Each parent faces 94 years to life in prison if convicted on more than two dozen charges, including torture, child abuse and false imprisonment.
The parents were last month banned from attempting to make any contact with any of their children.
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