Teenage twins in Houston, Texas, were filmed by doorbell cameras pleading for assistance from their neighbors after escaping a home where their mother allegedly tied, tortured, and starved them.
KHOU reported that the twins went door-to-door in the early hours of Tuesday morning but were denied by neighbors for about half an hour until one finally let them in and contacted the police.
According to the complaint seen by CNN, the twins were “severely emaciated” and had “lacerations on their skin consistent with handcuff shackles.” The allegation states that the siblings indicated they were malnourished.
The children’s mother, 40-year-old Zaikiya Duncan, and her boyfriend, 27-year-old Jova Terrell, went on the run and were captured in Louisiana on Tuesday, according to a representative of the Louisiana State Patrol.
According to the source, Duncan might face charges of severe assault and assault on a family member with a prior conviction, while Terrell could face accusations of persistent aggression against the family.
CNN stated that the Amber Alert for Duncan’s five other children, ages 7 to 14, was canceled when the children were located with a guy identified as their 18-year-old brother.
According to the complaint seen by CNN, the twins told investigators that they were kept shackled in the laundry room, where they were left to pee and defecate on themselves and had only access to a mop of dirty water.
In addition, they said their mother forced them to consume bleach and Lysol and sprayed oven cleaner in their mouths if they “spoke too much.”
The boy located the key to the handcuffs in his mother’s handbag, hid it in his lips, and waited for the children to escape, according to court records obtained by Sky News.
According to a medical assessment, there were indications that the children had been famished, and the kid had a healed bone fracture consistent with physical abuse.
CNN reports that the youngsters were transported to a hospital, where they remained as of Friday.
According to CNN, Duncan was convicted of child maltreatment in October 2019, according to court documents.