A Pennsylvania woman faces multiple charges after allegedly handcuffing her 11-year-old son to a fuel tank in the basement of their home.
Chazzity Candelario was jailed on charges of unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child.
The charges were filed shortly after police in the town of Lebanon were called to a home in the 600 block of East Kercher Avenue on Jan. 11 after learning that a child had been “chained” to a bed.
Police first encountered the child’s siblings, who told them their brother was handcuffed to the railing at the top of his bunk bed, according to WHTM.
The child told police that his mother initially handcuffed his leg to an oil tank in the basement. After he freed himself, he accidentally handcuffed himself to his bed.
Once police met with 33-year-old Candelario, she confessed to the act, WHTM reported, citing the criminal complaint.
She told officers that she “has a hard time controlling her children” while she’s at work and admitted to sometimes locking her 11-year-old son in a small three-by-eight utility room where she handcuffs him to a fuel tank.
Candelario’s son said that he’s subjected to this form of mistreatment often and is sometimes restrained for up to two hours at a time.
His mother was taken into police custody and is currently jailed at the Lebanon County Correctional Facility, where she remains held on a $100,000 bond.
Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 23.
If convicted, Candelario faces up to 10 years in prison for unlawful restraint, 10 years for false imprisonment, and between five and 10 years for child endangerment.
According to a Crime Watch report, Candelario was charged last summer with two counts of driving under the influence and two traffic violations after a traffic stop in Denver, Pennsylvania, on July 21, 2024. Police reported that her blood alcohol content at the time was 0.135, which was nearly twice the legal limit.