Mom handcuffed 11-year-old son to oil tank in basement while at work, PA cops say
A mother handcuffed her 11-year-old son to an oil tank in a basement while she was at work, Pennsylvania police said.
Officers found the child chained to the top railing of a bunk bed in Lebanon on Jan. 11, WHTM and police reported. He told police he was tied to a post in the basement but escaped and accidentally attached himself to the bed, the criminal complaint obtained by the news outlet said.
The mother, a 33-year-old, told police she had a difficult time controlling her children while she was at work, so she would restrain them, WGAL reported. She was arrested on Jan. 13, police said.
McClatchy News is not naming the mother to protect the identity of the child. The mother’s attorney information was not listed in court documents.
The mother was charged with unlawful restraint of a minor, false imprisonment of a minor and endangering the welfare of children, according to court records.
An investigation found that the mother would restrain the child to the oil tank using handcuffs, according to police. She also said, per court documents, that she would lock her children in a small utility room, WGAL reported.
Court records say the woman posted a $100,000 bond.
She is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 23.
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 10:36 AM with the headline "Mom handcuffed 11-year-old son to oil tank in basement while at work, PA cops say."
