Texas twins escaped a haunted house by escaping their handcuffs and running to a neighbor’s house.
The 16-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, were allegedly shackled and abandoned in their Houston home by their mother and her boyfriend, according to local reports.
Ring camera footage posted by KHOU on Monday depicted the perilous escape.
KHOU sources report that the twins told police that Zaikiya Duncan, 40, and Jova Terrell, 27, locked them in a utility room and forced them to drink their own urine and eat their own feces.
The boy had at least one broken bone, and both were malnourished and had handcuff-related wrist injuries.
Police issued an Amber Alert for Duncan and Terrell, who fled with their five other siblings between the ages of seven and fourteen. Another 18-year-old brother was presumed to be present.
As soon as the parents were located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, they were taken into custody.
Police reported that only one child was found with the couple at the time of their arrest. The remaining four children were later located safe and sound at a relative’s residence near Baton Rouge. Uncertain is the location of the 18-year-old brother.
Duncan and Terrell are expected to be extradited to Harris County on charges of injury to a child, according to police.
According to officials, all seven children have been placed in the custody of child protective services.
Two weeks ago, a neighbor informed KPRC that the family had just moved into the residence.
According to court documents acquired by KHOU, the mother has a history of abusing her children.
In a disturbing incident that occurred ten years ago, Duncan’s then-five-year-old child was taken from her school to a local hospital for burns to his genitalia, feet, and other parts of his body. Doctors determined that the child, who was also covered in bruises, had likely been burned by hot water.
When police arrived at Duncan’s residence in response to the fire, they discovered a 20-month-old baby with its hands tied and wrapped in clothing.
She admitted to police that she forced one of her children to perform push-ups for up to an hour, resulting in swollen hands. According to court documents, the child was also forced to sleep on the floor of a locked closet to prevent them from “escaping” or “stealing food from the kitchen.”
Two of Duncan’s other children were removed from the home after showing signs of abuse. Duncan was accused of cruelty to children.
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