Orange County, California Parents Keep 11-Year-Old Autistic Child in Cage to Control His 'Outbursts'
Two parents from Orange County were arrested on Tuesday after an anonymous tipster told Child Protective Services that they were keeping their 11-year-old Autistic son in a large dog cage.
The parents, who speak Vietnamese and very little English, reportedly ignored CPS agents when they arrived to their home in Anaheim, California. As a result, police were called to the location, Fox 59 reported.
When police arrived on the scene, they searched the house and found an extra-large dog kennel that was about 6 feet tall and 5 feet long, which the parents may have been using to control the boy when he had violent outbursts. A mattress was also found inside of the cage.
The boy was not inside, but family members gave officials varying accounts of how long his parents kept him inside it, ranging from hours to even days, Anaheim police Lt. Bob Dunn said.
The parents, identified as 40-year-old Loi Vu and 35-year-old Tracy Trang, told authorities that they were keeping their son inside the cage for his own protection and "to help control his behavior and frequent 'outbursts,'" read a statement released by Anaheim Police Department.
"We did develop information here at the home, and our preliminary investigation indicates that as the boy has gotten older, his outbursts have turned violent. They've had difficulty controlling him. This may have been their effort to try to control him better," Dunn said, according to ABC 7. "Obviously, putting your child in a locked cage, even if you're desperate for help, is not the best course of action."
The parents were charged with suspicion of felony child endangerment and false imprisonment.
The victim, along with his two siblings, ages 10 and 8, were taken into protective custody. All children were reported to be in good health with no visible signs of injuries.
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