David and Louise Turpin allegedly put their 13 children in small dog cages as a form of punishment, according to an investigator at their hearing in California Wednesday.
The Turpin parents are now accused of locking their children in cages and a dog kennel if they disobeyed, according to a testimony from Riverside County Investigator Wade Walsvick at a preliminary court hearing, the Los Angeles Times reported. A 25-year-old Turpin son told Walsvick about the extent of punishments, including allegedly being forced to lock his younger siblings in cages while being abandoned by their parents in Texas for three or four years. (RELATED: California Dad Allegedly Sexually Abused His Then 12-Year-Old Daughter)
“I chose to take the correct path and try to keep my siblings alive,” the 25-year-old told the investigator. He added that he was afraid of the repercussions if he tried to defy his parents. (RELATED: Turpin Kids Resettling Into Their New Lives And Want To Get GEDs, Lawyer Says)
A prosecutor at the court hearing alleged that David Turpin put his kids in cages if they disobeyed, ABC News reporter Rob McMillan tweeted. (RELATED: 12-Year-Old ‘House Of Horrors’ Child Could Only Recite Half The Alphabet)
#TurpinCase Prosecutor: The physical abuse in Texas started with slapping & hitting; then progressed to a belt; then the buckle end of the belt; then an oar or paddle; then a switch; if that didn’t work David Turpin would place them in cages
— Rob McMillan (@abc7robmcmillan) June 21, 2018
The parents’ allegedly used two types of cages to punish their children, with one of the punishments being due to a child watching “Star Wars,” tweeted Christopher Damien from the Desert Sun. (RELATED: Report: Turpin Kid Had A Secret YouTube Page And Posted Videos From Inside The ‘House Of Horrors’ [VIDEO])
One Turpin child was caged after being caught watching Star Wars, according to investigator testimony at #Turpin preliminary hearing. Two types of cages were used, children were locked-in on several occasions, @MyDesert
— Christopher Damien (@chris_a_damien) June 20, 2018
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