Teh One Who Knocks
02-10-2011, 10:09 PM
The South Bend Tribune
BERRIEN SPRINGS — A 16-year-old boy, handcuffed to a chair in his room for a week, managed to get his chair to a computer to call 911 while his mother was gone from the house.
Berrien Springs-Oronoko Township Police issued a report indicating the 911 call was received at 3:39 p.m. Tuesday. No arrests have been made as the investigation continues. But, the 16-year-old and his 9-year-old sister have been placed in foster homes by Child Protective Services.
Police gave this scenario:
The boy told police he had been handcuffed to a kitchen chair after he was arrested three weeks ago for shoplifting. As punishment, his mother confined him to a 6-foot by 4-foot room with only a Bible and told him to think about what he'd done.
Roughly two weeks ago, when the teen's mother found out he'd somehow gotten an MP3 player, he was then handcuffed to a chair in his room from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Meals were brought to him. At bedtime, the teen was handcuffed to a desk leg.
The mother provided the teen with bottled water and a bell to ring if he needed to go to the bathroom. He was only allowed outside to shovel snow.
The teen told police he was supposed to be spending several months in his room, but “couldn't take it anymore” and devised a way to call 911.
Berrien County prosecutors are reviewing the case.
BERRIEN SPRINGS — A 16-year-old boy, handcuffed to a chair in his room for a week, managed to get his chair to a computer to call 911 while his mother was gone from the house.
Berrien Springs-Oronoko Township Police issued a report indicating the 911 call was received at 3:39 p.m. Tuesday. No arrests have been made as the investigation continues. But, the 16-year-old and his 9-year-old sister have been placed in foster homes by Child Protective Services.
Police gave this scenario:
The boy told police he had been handcuffed to a kitchen chair after he was arrested three weeks ago for shoplifting. As punishment, his mother confined him to a 6-foot by 4-foot room with only a Bible and told him to think about what he'd done.
Roughly two weeks ago, when the teen's mother found out he'd somehow gotten an MP3 player, he was then handcuffed to a chair in his room from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Meals were brought to him. At bedtime, the teen was handcuffed to a desk leg.
The mother provided the teen with bottled water and a bell to ring if he needed to go to the bathroom. He was only allowed outside to shovel snow.
The teen told police he was supposed to be spending several months in his room, but “couldn't take it anymore” and devised a way to call 911.
Berrien County prosecutors are reviewing the case.