It was early last week when California officials discovered a home filled with children and young adults who were malnourished, abused and kept chained and shackled to a bed for days and months on end. It was inside the Perris, California, home where 13 siblings, whose ages ranged from 2 to 29 years old, were found to be held captive in their home by their parents.
The ‘horror house’ was brought to the police’s attention after a 17-year-old girl was able to leave the house with a cellphone she found.
Police say the 17-year-old girl looked like a ten-year-old since she was so emaciated and the girl quickly told officers about her 12 other siblings who were held captive.
When police entered the home that was about 70 miles east of Los Angeles, they found five children inside the home who were malnourished, unwashed and chained to a bed with chains and padlocks.
The Sun
The other captives were seven young adults whose ages ranged from 18 to 29. According to the Los Angeles Times, once the siblings were all freed they complained of extreme hunger and were given food before being taken to the hospital.
SBSThe parents, David Allen Turpin, 57 and Louise Anna Turpin, 49, have since been taken into custody. The sheriff’s department issued a statement that showed that the parents were unable to give a logical reason as to why they chained up their children.
Houston Chronicle
Public records show that the couple filed for bankruptcy back in 2011. David’s mother, Betty Turpin, told CNN that her son was a ‘very good man’ who ‘is very protective of the kids.’
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Investigators with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department have decided to send in cadaver-sniffing dogs in order to inspect the ‘horror house’ and to make sure that there are no bodies hidden there.
It was also revealed that these dogs would be sent into the Turpin’s previous residences as well to ensure that no bodies have been buried or hidden.
Furthermore, DNA tests will be conducted on all 13 children to identify if they are all born to the same parents. Prosecutors say the couple would regularly throttle and beat the kids and would only serve them one meal a day while teasing them with desserts.
ABC
This comes amid accusations from Louise’s half-brother who said that Louise was hoping to have another child. During an interview with The Mirror, Billy Lambert said: ‘she used to say how they would be perfect for TV and would often mention they would be bigger than the reality show ‘Kate Plus 8.’ She thought the world would be fascinated by their lives. They thought it would make them millions and household names. They didn’t care about the kids — it was all about them.’
