The parents of a six-year-old boy from Oklahoma were arrested by police after the young child told neighbors that he suffered from alleged abuse at home.
Moore police responded to a house in a neighborhood on Sept. 21, after one resident called regarding an unusual and upsetting development. In a statement, Clint Byley of the Moore Police Department (MPD) said that the boy was kind of "wandering in and out of the traffic and roadway."
Child's Parents Arrested for Abuse
He added that the young boy told the resident who called the police that he had run away from home because of abuse. Law enforcement personnel also noticed an open wound on the boy's foot, which was infected and unhealed.
Then, the boy's parents showed up at the scene after they noticed that their son was missing from their home. Police informed the couple of what they found and escorted them back to the MPD, where they were interviewed, according to ABC7 Chicago.
While the parents were being interviewed, their child was transferred to a hospital to be treated for his injuries. The couple then admitted to the alleged abuse, saying that they used lighters to burn the bottom of their son's foot. The boy was also found to be malnourished, officials said.
The CEO of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, Joe Dorman, said that his initial reaction to the incident was, "Here we go again." He noted that this type of abuse is quite alarming, but added that vigilant neighbors were able to help get the abusers arrested.
Dorman said that the first thing that people should watch out for in trying to determine abuse is isolation. He explained that oftentimes, families that abuse children within their households try to keep them isolated from other people, KOCO reported.
How To Spot Child Abuse
He added that another thing people should keep a lookout for is when parents start to act suspiciously. Dorman said that when this happens, it never hurts to check on the children, and if people are not comfortable doing it themselves, they can contact the authorities.
After the parents were brought to the Cleveland County Detention Center and charged with child abuse and the young boy is now safe in state custody.
The latest incident comes after two individuals were arrested after their adopted child died due to alleged child abuse. The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) announced the arrest of the suspects, Jonathan and Christina Miranda, who are accused of the murder of a 10-year-old child, as per News4 San Antonio.
