A couple in Florida is accused of handcuffing a young boy and locking him in a closet for hours at a time as a form of punishment, authorities said.
John Hernandez, 41, and Natasha Dabbs, 37, were arrested Sunday after deputies were called to their Tampa, Florida, home over reports of a missing child, according to a statement from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It’s still unclear why the boy was reported as missing, according to the statement. (RELATED: Report: Children Disfigured After Couple Allegedly Beat, Burned Them)
????On Sunday, #teamHCSO arrested John Hernandez (41) & Natasha Dabbs (37) after they admitted to locking a young boy in a closet for hours at a time. Deputies were called to the Tampa home for reports of a missing child. Deputies located the boy who had been hiding in the home. pic.twitter.com/zpy5LjE8Wx
— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) January 25, 2021
When deputies entered the home, they found the child and cleared the call. Soon after, authorities returned to the home to investigate potential child abuse, according to the statement. The child told them he had been handcuffed and forced to stand in a closet for 16 hours a day as “punishment” for several weeks, police say.
Hernandez admitted to detectives he handcuffed the young boy and put him in the closet as “punishment for behavioral issues” from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., authorities said. Dabbs told investigators that she was aware of the abuse and did not intervene.
The two were arrested and booked into a local jail, according to the statement.
The child’s age or relationship with the couple will not be released due to Marsy’s Law, authorities said. Marsy’s Law is specifically designed to protect crime victims’ rights, including the right to privacy and protection from the release of records to could lead to harassment of the victim. The law has been passed in 12 other states.
The investigation into the incident remains active, authorities said.