Couple Is Accused of Keeping Their 5-Year-Old Sons in Makeshift Cages

[dutchdemocrat]

Couple Is Accused of Keeping Their 5-Year-Old Sons in Makeshift Cages
By Beth DeFalco Associated Press Writer
Published: Aug 26, 2003

PHOENIX (AP) - A couple were arrested on child abuse charges for allegedly keeping their 5-year-old twin sons locked in filthy makeshift cages for nearly 20 hours a day.
Police found the boys Saturday after an adult older brother told an off-duty officer at a grocery store about the squalid living conditions.

When police arrived at the home they found the children inside two cribs that had been wired together and sealed by plastic crates. Roaches filled the cages, which contained a blanket and small mattress stained with feces and urine.

Louis and Estelvina Rodriguez of Phoenix were arrested on suspicion of child abuse and kidnapping.

<SNIP>

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA8DYCKTJD.html

[Systematic Chaos]

1. I think the Hamurabi Code applies splendidly here

as punishment.

Five years in a filthy cage, 20 hours a day, with little room for movement or stretching.

WTF are some people doing having children in the first place??? :argh:

[LivingInTheBubble]

2. I agree

I agree on both your points.

We do background checks for other jobs but it seems there is little protection against people abusing their own children.

I wonder if some have children because they think they are supposed to (its one of those things in life..) then end up totally unable to deal with them.

[KDLarsen]

3. We're ranking kids lower than pets

Today you need to have all sorts of permits just to get a pet, yet any Joe Crackhead outthere can go out and have as many children as he likes & not care about them at all.

[izzie]

4. One never knows what to say when you read this stuff.

I find at my age I have read enough and do not read about kids and animals. I do not know why I openned this one up and I am sorry I did.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. And you get to collect the tax bonuses as well.....

I truly believe some couples are now producing as many children as they can to get the tax exemptions and 'child tax credit'. We have a state representative that has 14 and counting...Repuke...and has more deductions than salary ($48K is tax free)!!

[dmr]

6. Oh, how heartbreaking

those poor babies. All three of them.

The mother's excuse makes no sense.

- snip - Investigators believe the boys were released from the cages for a few hours a day when their mother returned from work.

Estelvina Rodriguez, 42, told police her 69-year-old husband wanted the active boys in cages because he suffers from health problems and couldn't keep up with them. She said they were trying to control the children, not punish them. - snip -


If that were true, you'd at least think the cages would, at least, be lovingly cleaned when she was not working.

[corarose]

7. I am sorry for this but they need to be prevented from having Children

Sick people should not be allowed to have kids and they are SICK.

Those poor boys will be scared for life!

[tlcandie]

8. Just woke up and now this! Arghhhh

:nuke: This is the second article on DU that I've read that turns my stomach :( Why did I even bother to wake up?! :argh:

[bleedingheart]

9. These boys are damaged for life..

If they can't speak by five they are going to have extreme deficits in learning and need a lot of care.

I also want to add that at 64 and 37 respectively when these boys were conceived they should have thought about how much energy they would need to raise twins... and either used birth control or given them to a family who could have raised them.

My heart goes out to all three kids.

[kimchi]

10. Sick bastards.

Ignorance can only go far in excusing such behavior. If the kids are dirty once in a while, or you let them cry in their cribs, okay, it happens. But five year old who cannot speak being stuck in cages is child abuse. Yes, animals get treated much better than some humans. My instinct wants to wrap my hands around the parents throats. The poor children are scarred for life now.