The siblings, ranging from ages 2 to 29, were found padlocked to beds and malnourished.
Authorities discovered 12 siblings, some in chains and starving, inside their parents home in Perris, California on Sunday.
A 17-year-old managed to escape the house and alerted authorities to the fact that her 12 brothers and sisters were being held captive by their parents, according to a police statement. Riverside County Sheriff’s Department dispatched deputies alongside officers from the Perris Police Department to meet the 17-year-old girl, who “appeared to be only 10 years old and slightly emaciated.”
Authorities went to the residence and questioned the parents, David Allen Turpin, 57, and Louise Anna Turpin, 49.
“Further investigation revealed several children shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks in dark and foul-smelling surroundings, but the parents were unable to immediately provide a logical reason why their children were restrained in that manner,” the statement read.
Authorities found six minors, as young as six years old, and seven adults, whose ages ranged from 18 to 29 years old. All of the victims appeared to be dirty and malnourished. The minors were transported to Riverside University Hospital System while the adults were sent to Corona Regional Medical Center for examination and medical treatment.
The sheriff’s department did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment and an update on the medical conditions of the siblings.
Both parents have been transported to Robert Presley Detention Center on child endangerment and torture charges with a bail of $9 million each. The Turpins are set to appear in court on Thursday.