Police in Charleston, West Virginia, say a mother tied her kid for hours before the girl was able to escape to a neighbor’s house.
Laura Southworth, 54, faces charges of wrongful restraint, child maltreatment posing a danger of injury, and child neglect resulting in injury.
According to records, a girl reported herself as assaulted when she showed up at a home on Monday, prompting the Charleston Police Department to send investigators to an address on Bridge Road. She was also reportedly wearing handcuffs around her wrists.
The child was in fact wearing handcuffs around her wrist when the police came, according to the paperwork.
“According to her, her mom, later identified as Laura Southworth, had put the handcuffs on her wrist because she was stealing from her brothers,” police stated. “She was then able to slip the handcuff off of her right wrist but was unable to slip the one off her left wrist.”
According to the documents, a detective then visited Southworth’s residence.
Laura Southworth was just arraigned on charges of child neglect and unlawful restraint. She was arrested this morning after police say a little girl went to the next door neighbor’s house in handcuffs saying her mom handcuffed her because she stole from her brothers. pic.twitter.com/HI8B8pX0Ju
— Anna Saunders (@ASaunders_WCHS) September 23, 2024
“As I went inside the residence, I noticed it to be extremely messy with multiple items covering the floor throughout the house,” police stated.
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A police report claims that on Sunday between 8 p.m. and 9 a.m., Southworth did indeed handcuff the girl. Authorities added that she reported the girl acting strangely, including trying to leave the house without permission and stealing food and hiding it in secret places.
According to the officers, the child’s shackle was quite tight, but they were eventually able to remove it. Based on jail records, Southworth is being held without access to his $10,000 bail.
