CONTENT WARNING: CHILD ABUSE
A man and a woman are out on bond after they were accused of handcuffing children to their beds multiple times.
David Gonzales and Anita Valdez were arrested in San Antonio after Mr Gonzales’ biological young children told police about the alleged incidents.
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Officers were called to a home on Tecumseh Drive on Monday in relation to the alleged unlawful restraint and injury of a child.
They contacted a mother and her seven-year-old child, who had been visiting her father Mr Gonzales on the weekend, according to an arrest affidavit reviewed by KENS5.
The girl told her mother that while she was with Mr Gonzales, he had handcuffed one of her hands to the bed while her stepmother, Ms Valdez, handcuffed her other one.
The girl said the handcuffs were kept on her during the night, and when she woke up, her nine-year-old sister took them off.
The mother, who remains anonymous, told police she called Mr Gonzales and questioned him.
During the call, he allegedly admitted to handcuffing their daughter, and the mother asked why he did it before hanging up the phone.
When police arrested Mr Gonzales and Ms Valdez, both of them denied that they handcuffed the girl.
The investigations remain ongoing, as subsequent statements from Mr Gonzales, Ms Valdez and the children are inconsistent.
Ms Valdez has two other children who live with her and Mr Gonzales. These children said Ms Valdez is the one who handcuffed both the seven-year-old and her own six-year-old child that night.
The stepmother allegedly told police that she handcuffs her six-year-old child every night due to mental health and behavioural issues.
In a second interview, the seven-year-old said her wrist hurt and turned cold when she was allegedly handcuffed.
She also said that Mr Gonzales and Ms Valdez handcuff her regularly, and that when she and the other children got in trouble, they would be forced to eat chillies.
The six-year-old said she is also handcuffed regularly, and said Mr Gonzales hits her with a belt.
The affidavit said her legs and upper thighs were bruised.
She also told police that Mr Gonzales forces her to eat chilli pequins which he allegedly forced her to pick from a bush on the property.
Investigations remain ongoing.
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