A ruthless Pennsylvania couple kept their three young sons locked in an empty coal cellar, which at one time was called a “hole”.
37-year-old Richard Hayes of Mount Oliver and 26-year-old Natosha Bell of Rankin were arrested Wednesday at McAlur Elementary School in White Oak, where Hayes’ 11-year-old son refused to get in his car at the time of the dismissal. A criminal complaint Received by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
A witness told police that the frightened boy said he did not want to be handcuffed again, as he was engaged to a school employee.
Hess opened the minivan’s door and, according to a complaint by a school employee, saw two other children, ages 7 and 10, in handcuffs.
White Oak Police detained the couple and said that Hayes also had a loaded handgun with them. Allegheny County Police took the three boys into emergency custody and they later told authorities that they were treated according to a complaint at a hospital for brutal treatment.
Police said Hess is the father of two older boys, while Bell is the mother of 7- and 10-year-old boys. Each youth stated that they were locked in “holes” for several days at a time. One child claimed that he was held captive for the entire weekend, the complaint states.
Detectives later found evidence of an abuse claim at Hayes’ home, WPXI reported.
Police said the “hole” was actually an empty coal cellar with no lights or water and concrete floors.
Another room in the basement was also referred to as a “cell”, with the boys telling police that they were forced to use it as a toilet when describing the bucket. The 7-year-old boy said that when he was hungry, he was locked in a room without a mattress or pillow.
The 7-year-old also said that Hess forced his head underwater in a bathtub, which he admitted, according to the complaint, to the complainants. Hayes reportedly told police that he had put the three boys to sleep on a basement floor and had handcuffed them several times.
The couple is facing 14 charges in all cases, including aggravated assault, false imprisonment and child endangerment. Hayes was also charged with possessing a weapon on school property.
A judge denied bail for Hess on Thursday. Bell’s bail status was not immediately available Thursday, the Tribune reviewed.
“I’m probably one of the most serious incidents of child abuse I’ve seen in my career,” Allegany County Police Inspector P. K. Peyer Told KDKA. “If it were not for an 11-year-old child forbidding vehicles and school officials and police officers from entering – if they did not notice what was going on and the red flags and indicators – the abuse could continue.”
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