'13 children held captive in their California home'

16-01-2018 07:41AM #1

A couple has been arrested after authorities found a dozen of their malnourished children held captive in their home, with one as young as two and some shackled to beds in the dark.

Authorities launched a torture probe and set bail at nine million dollars for the parents, after a 17-year-old girl escaped the house on Sunday and called the police on a cellphone she found in the house.

She was so "emaciated" that officers said they originally thought she was only 10 years old.

The 13 victims who had been held captive at the Perris, California home range in age from two to 29, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said in a statement. They were not named.

"Further investigation revealed several children shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks in dark and foul-smelling surroundings, but the parents were unable to immediately provide a logical reason why their children were restrained in that manner," the statement added.

"Deputies located what they believed to be 12 children inside the house, but were shocked to discover that seven of them were actually adults, ranging in age from 18 to 29. The victims appeared to be malnourished and very dirty."

The sheriff's office said "the victims were provided with food and beverages after they claimed to be starving."

The parents, 57-year-old David Allen Turpin and 49-year-old Louise Anna Turpin, were booked on torture and child endangerment charges.

It must have been a full-time job each and every day for both of these people to conceal all this. How could people not have noticed something suspicious?

Wanderer78 · 16-01-2018 07:45AM

Disturbing read, did they live in an isolated location?

Fann Linn · 16-01-2018 07:49AM

It will be interesting to see how many times health and social care officials called to this home over 29 years and found no problems!

Peregrinus · 16-01-2018 07:50AM

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Disturbing read, did they live in an isolated location?

Nope. They lived in a recently developed suburb.

Peregrinus · 16-01-2018 07:56AM

Deleted User wrote: »

It must have been a full-time job each and every day for both of these people to conceal all this. How could people not have noticed something suspicious?

Fann Linn wrote: »

It will be interesting to see how many times health and social care officials called to this home over 29 years and found no problems!

Early days yet, but we don't know how long this situation had been going on for. Various media reports have photographs of the family that look like they are culled from social media in which the children do not appear to be emaciated, dirty, etc. So it could be, for example, that this family were a bit weird but, basically, not criminal. But them something happened and things only spiralled into torture, imprisonment, starvation, etc relatively recently.

Reati · 16-01-2018 08:58AM

"the parents were unable to immediately provide a logical reason why their children were restrained in that manner"

What a bizarre line. What would be a logical reason to padlock and restrain children to beds in the dark in your house?

suicide_circus · 16-01-2018 10:03AM

The parents must me mentally unwell

Ush1 · 16-01-2018 10:11AM

Brings to mind the Jaycee Lee Duggard case. Some truly evil people out there.

Hector Bellend · 16-01-2018 10:25AM

My parenting motto (for the kids I don't have) Is "little johnny always needs a good crack on the arse" when necessary.

I think they've taken this a little too far

Your Face · 16-01-2018 10:51AM

Deleted User wrote: »

It must have been a full-time job each and every day for both of these people to conceal all this. How could people not have noticed something suspicious?

I'm not having a go at the OP but abuses happening unseen in a close vicinity is not a shocker or uncommon.

seamus · 16-01-2018 10:57AM

Fann Linn wrote: »

It will be interesting to see how many times health and social care officials called to this home over 29 years and found no problems!

Very few I'd say.

The US system is very hands-off in terms of parenting. It's very easy to live "off the grid" and the state has no idea that you've even had children.

And the sad part is that there are some people who would say that's the way it should be and psychopaths like these people are just a rare exception.

Neighbours reported them as people who kept to themselves and only really came out to go do their shopping. In theory that alone should be enough to make people concerned, but how many of us have a neighbour that we'd only know to see when they emerge from their house, and otherwise know nothing about them?

Hector Savage · 16-01-2018 12:14PM

I blame Trump.

Hande hoche! · 16-01-2018 12:21PM

Shocking behaviour. Although yer man's haircut should have been a bit of a giveaway.

9or10 · 16-01-2018 12:22PM

Fann Linn wrote: »

It will be interesting to see how many times health and social care officials called to this home over 29 years and found no problems!

From the Beeb

On the California Department of Education website, Mr Turpin is listed as the principal of Sandcastle Day School - a private school operated out of his home.
The school was opened in March 2011, the website says. Six pupils are enrolled there, all in different grades.
In California, private schools operate outside the jurisdiction of the education department and most regulations. They are directly accountable to students and their parents or guardians, and the state has no authority to monitor or evaluate them.
Teachers at private schools in California also do not need to hold a valid state teaching qualification.

seamus wrote: »

Neighbours reported them as people who kept to themselves and only really came out to go do their shopping. In theory that alone should be enough to make people concerned, but how many of us have a neighbour that we'd only know to see when they emerge from their house, and otherwise know nothing about them?

When we lived in the UK - commuter town - we saw one set of neighbours for the first time the day we left, and we lived there 16 years. Everyone just gets on with there own thing.

Skylinehead · 16-01-2018 12:40PM

Hector Savage wrote: »

I blame Trump.

Ah stop.

Billy86 · 16-01-2018 07:14PM

I only saw this now, this one of the most shocking things I've seen in a long time, surprised it's only on 15 posts... it's basically Fritzl but on a whole different scale by the sounds of things?

What an appalling pair of scumbags, you'd have to wonder how 'normal' most of these kids/adults will ever... how ****ing evil can some people be?

Harry Palmr · 16-01-2018 07:17PM

Religious nutters.

16-01-2018 07:43PM

Home schooling is a red flag. 90% + of homeschoolers are fundamental religious types who are often completely paranoid about their kids coming in contact with anything that might contradict their world view.

You can live in isolation while surrounded by people - many lonely old people will vouch for that. It doesn't surprise me that the neighbours had no clue.

whoopsadoodles · 16-01-2018 07:54PM

Not normally one to speculate but I've an awfully sick feeling that at least one of the younger children will turn out to be a child of the older ones and their father

Lollipops23 · 16-01-2018 07:57PM

whoopsadoodles wrote: »

Not normally one to speculate but I've an awfully sick feeling that at least one of the younger children will turn out to be a child of the older ones and their father

it's pretty unlikely the ma gave birth at 46....

wakka12 · 16-01-2018 08:11PM

whoopsadoodles wrote: »

Not normally one to speculate but I've an awfully sick feeling that at least one of the younger children will turn out to be a child of the older ones and their father

Youngest was two I believe and the mother is like late forties so unless they went and got IVF to get another baby to chain to the bed posts then that seems quite likely

whoopsadoodles · 16-01-2018 08:11PM

Lollipops23 wrote: »

it's pretty unlikely the ma gave birth at 46....

Having babies regularly up to that point mean it's far more likely you could be still giving birth at that age but the whole thing screams of incest to me. I hope I'm wrong.

whoopsadoodles · 16-01-2018 08:14PM

wakka12 wrote: »

Youngest was two I believe and the mother is like late forties so unless they went and got IVF to get another baby to chain to the bed posts then that seems quite likely

As per my post above. Someone having babies regularly would be likely to still be quite fertile at that age.

The photos of them online appear to have them looking quite healthy until recently enough although you couldn't argue they look like a normal family based on the pics.

TeaBagMania · 16-01-2018 08:20PM

Hector Savage wrote: »

I blame Trump.

not this time, the libtards run comifornia

Cookie_Monster · 16-01-2018 08:21PM

how the **** is that allowed?

On the California Department of Education website, Mr Turpin is listed as the principal of Sandcastle Day School - a private school operated out of his home.
The school was opened in March 2011, the website says. Six pupils are enrolled there, all in different grades.
In California, private schools operate outside the jurisdiction of the education department and most regulations. They are directly accountable to students and their parents or guardians, and the state has no authority to monitor or evaluate them.
Teachers at private schools in California also do not need to hold a valid state teaching qualification.

Such a blatant obvious route for abuse to occur, how can any sane country think something like that is acceptable?

Avatar MIA · 16-01-2018 08:22PM

wakka12 wrote: »

Youngest was two I believe and the mother is like late forties so unless they went and got IVF to get another baby to chain to the bed posts then that seems quite likely

Women can give birth mid forties, not unusual. She does looks a bit simple in the photo. Not that the two are related

But the home schooling seems to have been learning the Bible off by heart.

wakka12 · 16-01-2018 08:23PM

whoopsadoodles wrote: »

As per my post above. Someone having babies regularly would be likely to still be quite fertile at that age.

The photos of them online appear to have them looking quite healthy until recently enough although you couldn't argue they look like a normal family based on the pics.

Oh interesting.
I doubt they were ever healthy..the sons and daughters who were in their mid and late 20's were all thought to be children when the police first arrived..and the 17 year old girl who escaped was mistaken for a ten year old when the police first met her at the station. That sounds like a lifetime of neglect and malnutrition to have such stunted development

And the mom was 49 not 46 some other poster said she was 46

Akrasia · 16-01-2018 08:24PM

I'd say these people became convinced that their kids were possessed by demons or some other crazy religious delusion.

How the f could anyone do that to their own children.

castletownman · 16-01-2018 08:24PM

whoopsadoodles wrote: »

As per my post above. Someone having babies regularly would be likely to still be quite fertile at that age.

The photos of them online appear to have them looking quite healthy until recently enough although you couldn't argue they look like a normal family based on the pics.

Well I saw pictures on the lunch-time news earlier of what appeared to be a family day out. And every one of them were wearing matching clothes. Like literally decked out as if they were part of an Olympic team during the opening ceremony. With #1, #2 etc printed on each individual kids top. Immediately screamed out to me as "religious nutjob parents" when I saw it.

The poor children couldn't have had any sort of life. The phrase "you never know what goes on behind closed doors" is particularly relevant here.

wakka12 · 16-01-2018 08:29PM

I find it so hard to believe nobody noticed anything though. 14 people living in a suburban house is a very unique and noticeable thing in of itself. Surely at least one of the neighbours must have noticed that they never ever seen any of these 12 children outside at all anymore

Mutant z · 16-01-2018 08:29PM

Scumbags of the highest order.

'13 children held captive in their California home'

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