A Virginia couple has been arrested after police checked out a call about possible child neglect and found two young boys chained by their ankles in a Fairfax County home.
Wedni Del Cid Rodriguez, 47, and Franklin Viera Guevara, 29, were both charged with two counts each of child neglect, child cruelty, and abduction, WTTG reported. Rodriguez has since bonded out; Guevara remains behind bars.
Court documents say that police knocked at the door and heard a chain rattling inside. When the door was opened, they saw the two boys — 7 and 9 years old — chained up by a sleeping cot.
The documents say that one of the boys used a roommates cell phone to take a picture of his ankle with the chain attached and sent it to his sister, who called 911.
Rodriguez, who is the boys’ mother, and Guevara reportedly told police they chained the boys for short periods of time to “scare them” and prevent them from leaving the apartment.
The roommate, however, told police the children were often left unsupervised and restrained.
Police said the boys had marks on their ankles that were consistent with the chains.
It’s not clear where the boys are now.
According to WJLA, Rodriguez has a next court appearance set for October 2, and Guevara has a bond hearing on Wednesday.
