A Pennsylvania woman is facing multiple charges for allegedly restraining her 11-year-old son by handcuffing him to a fuel tank in the basement of their home.
Chazzity Candelario faced imprisonment due to accusations of unlawfully restraining, falsely imprisoning, and endangering the welfare of a child.
The accusations were filed immediately after police in Lebanon were summoned to a home in the 600 block of East Kercher Avenue on January 11 after discovering that a youngster had been “chained” to a bed.
According to WHTM, the police initially came across the child’s siblings, who informed them that their brother was handcuffed to the railing at the top of his bunk bed.
The child informed the police that his mother had initially handcuffed his leg to an oil tank in the basement. However, he managed to free himself but accidentally ended up handcuffing himself to his bed.
According to the criminal complaint, Candelario, who is 33 years old, admitted to the act after being questioned by the police.
Candelario’s son mentioned that he frequently experiences this kind of mistreatment and is occasionally restrained for as long as two hours at a stretch.
The police have taken his mother into custody, and she is currently held at the Lebanon County Correctional Facility. She remains detained on a $100,000 bond.
The preliminary hearing for her has been set for January 23rd.
If Candelario is found guilty, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison for unlawful restraint, 10 years for false imprisonment, and between five and 10 years for child endangerment.
According to a report from Crime Watch, Candelario faced charges last summer for two counts of driving under the influence and two traffic violations following a traffic stop in Denver, Pennsylvania on July 21, 2024. The police reported that her blood alcohol content was 0.135 at the time, which was nearly twice the legal limit.
The news sparked a strong reaction within the community.
“This is so wrong, The Mother needs to go to jail,” one Facebook user.
“Let’s be honest, nowadays parenting ain’t easy, and can be challenging for some, but also we have to keep in mind that Its almost impossible to punish or even a good old fashion woopin! Will put you in this situation!! I pray that the lord brings understanding and Light to this,” another user wrote.