Harrah couple arrested for alleged roles in teen's abuse
HARRAH, Okla. (KFOR) – Court records reveal unsettling details after a Harrah couple was arrested for their alleged roles in the abuse of their 15-year-old son.
“Any abuse of a child is horrible,” said Marty Burns, the Harrah Police Chief. “We just can't tolerate that in our state.”
Michael Randazzo and Kayla Randazzo, the stepfather and mother to four kids, were arrested last weekend, according to arrest records.
Documents filed in Oklahoma County District Court show that the abuse of the teenager allegedly lasted for years but boiled over during an incident at a Dollar General at the beginning of February. Michael allegedly told the 15-year-old to grab a carton of eggs and when he did, slammed the teen’s head inside of the cooler.
“That is what caused the juvenile to leave the Dollar General store that day," said Burns. “A witness saw his (step) father chase him in his black Tahoe, pull over on the side of the road and strike him a few times and then leave with him."
Court records reveal Michael eventually pointed a revolver style handgun at the teen, which prompted the teen to jump out of the car and run away.
"The juvenile was reported runaway by his parents,” said Burns.
The teen was found four days later in Choctaw.
He was “cold, dirty and running a fever from being in the inclement weather for four days,” said the court documents.
The documents go on to say the teen told police that Michael had been abusing him for years, saying “Michael would come drag him out of bed and beat him.”
The records also show that the kids’ aunt, who came to the Harrah Police Department to try to help when the teen was still missing, told investigators that “DHS had been called several times in multiple towns and states due to the abuse but every time they screened it out.”
While talking with police, the aunt said that when Michael punishes the kids, “he would put cigarette ashes in their mouths or make them hold an AR-15 with both hands straight out in front of them and if they dropped it, they would be beaten,” according to court records.
The aunt also filed a protective order against Michael last month. According to the Oklahoma State Court’s Network, the next hearing for that is next week.
Michael is currently booked in the Oklahoma Detention Center on numerous charges, including child endangerment, assault and battery and knowingly or willfully causing, aiding, or encouraging a minor to be a delinquent child or runaway child.
Kayla was arrested for enabling child abuse, failure to protect and failure to report. KFOR is told she has bonded out of jail.
KFOR also talked to the kids’ aunt off camera on Tuesday who says she’s in the process of trying to get custody of the four kids.