Two children were discovered chained up inside a Virginia home, leading to the arrest of the couple residing there.
Franklin Viera Guevara, 29, and Wendi Del Cid Rodriguez, 46, are both charged with two counts of child neglect, two counts of child cruelty, and two counts of abduction.
Two young boys were discovered chained to a post by their ankles inside a home, leading to charges for a Virginia mother and her apparent boyfriend, police said.
Each of Wendi Del Cid Rodriguez, 46, and Franklin Viera Guevara, 29, was arrested on four charges: child neglect, child cruelty, and abduction.
On Aug. 15, Fairfax County Police were called to an apartment on the 6700 block of Tower Drive in Groveton, Virginia, due to a report of suspected child neglect.
According to a criminal complaint, Fox 5 DC reported that officers heard chains rattling inside when they knocked on the door. Upon opening the door, the officers observed a chain wrapped around a post next to a sleeping cot and the two boys chained up at their ankles.
The boys, aged nine and seven, had visible marks on their ankles that resembled the shape and size of chains, as stated by the responding officers.
Rodriguez and Guevara admitted to chaining the boys by the ankle for brief periods as a form of punishment to instill fear and prevent them from leaving the house.
According to court documents, one of the boys used his roommate's cellphone to take a picture of his chained ankle and sent it to their sister, who called 911.
When the suspects were absent, the roommate informed police that the boys were left unattended and restricted.
Rodriguez has been released on bond and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 2, while Guevara remains in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond. Guevara has a bond hearing scheduled for Wednesday and a competency hearing next month.
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