Two girls, ages 12 and 13, escaped through a window in their room and ran to alert a neighbor to their plight after their stepfather threatened them with a knife. Police found a third girl, aged 17, locked in a separate bedroom. The girls’ mother reported that they were being homeschooled. All three girls were dirty and malnourished, and they reported that they had not had a bath in six months. The girls’ rooms were rigged with padlocks, alarms, and video surveillance, and the girls were fed only once a day. The girls had been imprisoned in their rooms for months, with loud music or static (if the girls misbehaved) piped into their crudely soundproofed rooms 24/7. Several neighbors said they were unaware that there were children living in the home. The charges against the girls’ stepfather include sexual abuse.

Date: November 26, 2013
Location: Tucson, Arizona