Authorities in Twentynine Palms, California reported Thursday that a homeless couple was arrested after the woman allegedly punished her three young children by sending them into the California desert without shoes or water.
The children, a 7-year-old girl and two boys of the ages 5 and 6, were spotted near the road by a resident who immediately called 911. San Bernadino County sheriff’s spokeswoman, Cynthia Bachman, said the children did not require medical treatment.
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At the time the children were reported found, authorities estimate they had been wandering for nearly 45 minutes as the temperatures soared in the low 90’s. No reports have surfaced as to why the parents were punishing the children.
The police found the mother and her boyfriend a short distance away on the road near Twentynine Palms in the Mojave Desert about 130 miles east of Los Angeles, according to the Associated Press.
Bachman mentioned that the couple, 34-year-old Mary Bell and 29-year-old Gary Cassle, was within eyesight of the children, “but it was apparent they weren’t keeping a visual on them.”
The county’s Child Support Services department took the children as Mary Bell and Gary Cassle were arrested on suspicion of child abuse with a $100,000 bail, according to Bachman. Arraignment has been scheduled for Friday, but Bachman mentioned that it is unclear whether the couple has attorneys.
This isn’t the only recent story involving parents resorting to cruel punishment with their children. Authorities in Japan reported finding a 7-year-old boy who survived nearly a week by himself in the forest after being abandoned by his parents. He was being punished for throwing rocks at cars, according to ABC News.
The boy was released from the hospital on June 7, and he told the reporters he was feeling fine. Police did not intend to press child neglect charges against his parents.
Do you think the couple should be charged for sending their three kids into the desert?
