FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA – Two young boys, aged 9 and 7, were discovered chained in an apartment in Fairfax County, Virginia, authorities reported. The boys’ mother and her partner were arrested on August 15 for the appalling conditions in which the children were found.
Officers were alerted to the boys’ situation when the 9-year-old borrowed a cellphone and managed to send an adult a picture of the chains and handcuffs. The adult promptly informed the police, who rushed to the apartment and rescued the boys. The boys are currently in the safe custody of their father.
The children’s father, who does not live at the apartment and is not facing any charges, expressed disbelief that his boys did not tell him about their ordeals during their visits. Police documents reveal that the children were chained up next to where they slept, with their restraints not being released until adults returned home in the afternoon.
A woman who wished to remain anonymous was reportedly one of the adults the abused boy reached for help. “I was shocked, scared. They don’t even tie up animals like this,” she expressed.
The arrested individuals, Franklin Viera Guevara, 29, and Wedni Del Cid Rodriguez, 46, are facing charges of child cruelty, child neglect, and abduction. The children’s mother, upon securing bond, has returned to the apartment, while Guevara remains in custody without bond.