Boy Tortured, Held Under Water During Home Invasion, Authorities Say

A 7-year-old boy in Texas was tortured for nearly an hour when armed intruders entered his family’s home demanding money.

The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office has issued a plea to help catch the three persons who entered a home in Richmond, Texas and tortured a 7-year-old boy for more than 40-minutes, at times holding his head underwater in a bathtub.

“Do you recognize the clothing on these suspects? The jacket has distinctive white sleeves from a vintage Jordan jacket. The other suspect has a white Adidas pullover with a white shirt that appears to read ‘CHANGE’. Someone will hopefully recognize them. They’re wanted for a violent home invasion in which a 7-yr old boy was tortured,” the Fort Bend Police Department wrote on their Facebook page, sharing images of the masked suspects.

According to the Fort Bend Herald, police responded to a call at 3 a.m. Monday morning concerning a home invasion. After responding to the scene, the boy’s father told authorities that three masked suspects entered the home through the front door and hit him. They then proceeded to torture the 7-year-old boy, filling a bathtub with hot water before “repeatedly” holding his head underwater, demanding to know where money was hidden within the home.

“This is the worst kind of crime against a family. Three crooks forcing their way into a home in the middle of the night is appalling. To make matters worse, they accosted a 7-year-old child. They’re cowards, to say the least,” Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls said.

The homeowner suffered injuries in the attack, and the 7-year-old boy was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for water in his lungs.

“Just horrible to think that we have three individuals out there that are trying to make a little extra money, and they’re gonna do that to a young man like that? A child? How dare you,” Sheriff Nehls said, according to PEOPLE.

The suspects, who fled in a car, got away with jewelry, cellphones, money and car keys.

The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office also released images of the suspects to the police department’s Twitter account.

One image shows one of the masked suspects standing next to the boy, while another shows a suspect holding a gun. Several of the photos point out distinctive clothing that was worn at the time of the attack, including red tennis shows and a shirt that reads “Change.” It is believed that one of the suspects is female.

It is believed that the father may have been targeted because he is a local business owner.

Police are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to their arrests.