Piedmont police find children who are "skin & bones"
PIEDMONT, Okla. (KFOR) — Two people were arrested for child abuse and neglect in Piedmont, and the police report alleges there also may have been tasers involved.
It all started when police received a call about a runaway child last Friday.
Police said the child's mother made the call and said she had been gone for 12 hours.
"That juvenile provided some information that made some allegations of abuse at the home," said Shayne Clark, Piedmont Police Chief.
The police report showed the girl telling officers her mother is "scary" saying "sometimes she locks us in the closet."
She was referencing last Easter when she spent four days locked inside without food.
Officers went to the home of Tina Ramirez and Anthony Ibeziako and found five children inside.
The report said all looked malnourished, the two older kids looked frail. Officers also found notebooks with chores, animal care and restroom breaks for the two older kids.
Then, the report explains officers saw the refrigerator and pantry were secured by a fingerprint lock. It said Tina is the only one who could open it.
A search found a child's letter in the bedroom that read "I think she's going to kill me. I didn't do anything... She held scissors to my throat".
In the report, the kids told officers one child had been tased, with Tina explaining to police they play the "bzzt bzzt bzzt game with the dogs and kids."
"Upon that search warrant, the two adults in the residence were subsequently arrested for the pending child abuse charges and child neglect charges," said Clark.
News 4 talked to neighbors in the area who say they've had their suspicions about the home, but didn't think it would come to this.
"I believe this will be a successful case that will protect the children of our city," said Clark.
The kids were taken into the care of DHS.
The police report said doctors at OU Children's found evidence of abuse, including signs of scarring from a taser on one child.
Ramriez and Ibeziako were booked into the Canadian County Jail on Tuesday.
The case is still under investigation.