PERRIS: Investigators sought to shed light on Tuesday on how a California couple arrested on suspicion of torture were able to keep their 13 malnourished children — ages 2 to 29 — confined in their suburban home in grim conditions with no one noticing.

Sheriff’s deputies found some of the children shackled to their beds in filthy conditions after receiving a 911 call from one of the kids, a 17-year-old girl who managed to escape. She was so emaciated that officers said that at first they thought she was just 10 years old.

“Further investigation revealed several children shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks in dark and foul-smelling surroundings, but the parents were unable to immediately provide a logical reason why their children were restrai­ned in that manner,” the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

“Deputies located what they believed to be 12 children inside the house, but were shocked to discover that seven of them were actually adults, ranging in age from 18 to 29. The victims appeared to be malnourished and very dirty.” Police gave them food and beverages “after they claimed to be starving.” The parents, 57-year-old David Allen Turpin and 49-year-old Louise Anna Turpin, were booked on suspicion of torture and child endangerment with bail set at $9 million each.

Turpin’s parents, who live in West Virginia, told ABC News they were “surprised and shocked,” adding they had not seen their son or his children in four or five years.

Neighbour Julio Reyes, 38, said: “We’ve seen a couple of teenagers maybe last year mowing the lawn, and you know they put some Chris­tmas decorations.”

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2018