SAN ANTONIO – Two parents were detained after they allegedly restrained their own children using handcuffs, according to an affidavit obtained by KSAT.
David Gonzales and Anita Valdez were arrested last week on charges related to injury of a child and unlawful restraint, Bexar County jail records show.
The affidavit alleges Gonzales and Valdez both handcuffed and injured two girls, who are both younger than eight years old.
The 7-year-old victim, who is Gonzales’ daughter, told investigators she had been handcuffed to her bed by both of her parents, with one arm out to the side and one arm straight up.
Gonzales’ daughter said the handcuffs were “really, really tight,” according to the affidavit. She said she was not released until the next morning when her 9-year-old sister removed the restraints, the affidavit states.
The 6-year-old victim, who is Valdez’s daughter, also told investigators she gets handcuffed by the couple “all the time.”
Valdez’s daughter was last handcuffed to the bed when she was caught eating in the bathroom because she was still hungry, according to the affidavit.
Court documents indicate that the 6-year-old girl said that the children are only allowed to eat once a day and are sometimes given gummies and chili pequin peppers picked from a bush outside the home.
Valdez’s daughter also reportedly told investigators that Gonzales hit her with a brown belt on her butt and legs so hard that she could not walk, which left several bruises.
Investigators found two sets of handcuffs on the 7-year-old’s bed, the affidavit said, while another set of handcuffs and a ratchet strap were tied to the 6-year-old’s bed.
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