Police: 4 charged after stun gun used to discipline kids
POLK COUNTY, Fla. -- Florida deputies arrested four adults on child abuse charges for allegedly using a stun gun to discipline children, reports CBS affiliate WKMG.
The two couples -- Eduardo Vazquez, 22, William Torres-Morales, 22, Elizabeth Tarvin, 33, and Veronica Sanchez, 32 -- were arrested on charges that included aggravated child abuse, negligent child abuse and failure to report child abuse. They live together in the same home with nine children between the ages of 7 to 13, according to police.
The state's Department of Children and Families told police in mid-July that it received a report that children were possibly being disciplined by their guardians with a handheld stun gun device, but deputies said Torres-Morales initially told police the children had actually used it on each other without permission.
However, investigators said Torres-Morales eventually admitted that the adults used it for discipline. Torres-Morales allegedly said he and Vazquez made the male children do push-ups and stunned them if they couldn't do the amount they were instructed to do.
Deputies said the gun left bruises and burn marks on the victims.
Officials have not accused Tarvin or Sanchez of using the stun gun on children, but say they knew the alleged abuse was taking place and did not try to stop it.
All the suspects were arrested and transported to the Polk County Jail.