PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla., July 20, 2007

Cops: Fla. Woman Kept 9 Handcuffed At Home

5 Foster Children, 4 Adults Were Malnourished And Handcuffed Together, Police Say

  • Judith Leekin, 62, in an undated booking photo from the Port of St. Lucie Police Department. Leekin faces five counts of aggravated child abuse and single counts of tampering with a witness and possession of a fictitious identification after an 18-year-old woman told investigators her Photo

    Judith Leekin, 62, in an undated booking photo from the Port of St. Lucie Police Department. Leekin faces five counts of aggravated child abuse and single counts of tampering with a witness and possession of a fictitious identification after an 18-year-old woman told investigators her "adoptive mother" left her on July 4.  (Port of St. Lucie Police Dept.)

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(CBS/AP)  A woman has been charged with keeping four malnourished teenagers and five adults, some mentally disabled, in her home and handcuffed together, police said Thursday.

When Judith Leekin, 62, would leave her home she bound the teenagers, ages 15 to 17, and adults together, police spokesman Deputy Robert Vega said.

"They were not allowed to leave the home," Vega said.

Some of the children were found with marks on their wrists, as well as scars and burns. Two of the teens had less than a fourth-grade education, while another is illiterate, authorities said.

"We have no idea how these kids came into her custody. We have no idea where these kids came from and no idea who they are," Vega said.

It also was not clear how long they had been with Leekin. She was charged Wednesday with five counts of aggravated child abuse, one count of tampering with a witness and one count of possession of a fictitious driver's license/identification, authorities said. She was being held on a total bond of $435,000.

None of the children ever attended school or visited a doctor while in Leekin's care, Vega said.

The investigation began when police were called to a supermarket July 4 because Leekin had apparently left an 18-year-old girl there, Vega said. The girl told police Leekin was her adoptive mother and that she had been living with her since she was 5, Vega said.

Leekin told investigators the girl had left a year ago, denied the abuse allegations and said she lived in the home with her son, a court record said.

During a search of her home, authorities found handcuffs, zip-ties and a surveillance system. A fictitious birth certificate also was found for one teen.

"We found more than one of the people under her care suffering from malnutrition," Port St. Lucie Police Captain Scott Bartal told the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers at a press conference Thursday. "We were able to verify that they were restrained using handcuffs and plastic ties."

Detectives were trying to determine the real identities of the nine people found in the home. They were placed in the care of the Department of Children & Families, Vega said.

"We are very saddened by the situation," Lorrene Egan, district 15 operations manager for DCF told The Palm Beach Post.

Leekin had several identities and Social Security numbers, and authorities were trying to verify her identity, Vega said.

Authorities investigated Leekin in 1999, but the case was closed when she left the area, police said.

Leekin's Miami attorney, Mario Garcia Jr., told The Post it was premature to comment on the case.

"We are doing our own investigation to determine what is and is not true," he said. "We don't have any comment because we don't have any information at this point."

"We found more than one of the people under her care suffering from malnutrition," Port St. Lucie Police Captain Scott Bartal told the Port St. Lucie News at a press conference Thursday. "We were able to verify that they were restrained using handcuffs and plastic ties."



© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Add a Comment See all 76 Comments
by nlm2383 July 20, 2007 11:44 AM PDT
What a disgusting pig. Put her in jail and let her rot.
Reply to this comment
by random_radar July 20, 2007 11:48 AM PDT
How could she be supporting 9 people in her home all these years? Where is she getting the money? Why would she be keeping them? Was she getting money from the government? Hopefully more details to this mysterious story will be published.
Reply to this comment
by linfinster July 20, 2007 12:01 PM PDT
What a horrible thing to do to another person. I bet they are receiving SSA benefits and she was the Representitive Payee. Probably got boarding home payments too. I am with you nlm2328 I hope she goes to jail and rots!
Reply to this comment
by missyx21 July 20, 2007 12:04 PM PDT
random_radar
****************
That's what I was thinking. Someone must of put these people in her care. Gosh, this kind of *** just makes me mad.
Reply to this comment
by jdubs63 July 20, 2007 12:07 PM PDT
THAT'S A WOMAN... Fool me
Reply to this comment
by kennedy19106 July 20, 2007 12:10 PM PDT
She looks like a fierce "diesel ***!"
Reply to this comment
by vet999999 July 20, 2007 12:16 PM PDT
This is sick. It seems odd to me that none of the neighbors suspected anything. With 9 other people around someone had so see something odd. Unless of course, it was just ignored, as usually happens. If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.
Reply to this comment
by processor2 July 20, 2007 12:24 PM PDT
THAT'S A WOMAN !?!?!?!?!

Holy ***

...
Reply to this comment
by peach652 July 20, 2007 12:24 PM PDT
Bet she's been getting government assistance for her 9 dependents, and multiple social security checks.

On the bright side... 9 missing persons have been located!
Reply to this comment
by bananaamy July 20, 2007 12:27 PM PDT
This is just sad on so many levels. The consequences%u2019 of her actions will have repercussions on those individuals for the rest of their lives. One can only wonder for how this happened and went on for so long...

My prayers go out to the children and adults.
Reply to this comment
by mo005 July 20, 2007 12:55 PM PDT
I just can't understand how people in this good ole world can be so cruel to other people( or living beings for that matter). She looks like one of the lunch ladies at school when I was a kid. Mean as a snake and hated kids.
Reply to this comment
by lars008-2009 July 20, 2007 1:03 PM PDT
There is no imaginary line of credulity that al Qaeda might cross should it go from beheading children to baking them.
http://www.michaelyon-online
More cases of terrorists 'baking' children cited
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56723
Reply to this comment
by lcsw-fl July 20, 2007 1:16 PM PDT
THE STATE OF FLORIDA CURRENTLY LISTS 602 CHILDREN WHO ARE MISSING FROM THEIR CURRENT PLACEMENTS WITH DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. YOU CAN READ THE NAMES AT THE DEPARTMENT WEB SITE AT http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/missingkids/

ITS A SAD COMMENTARY ON A CULTURE WHEN THOSE CHARGED WITH PROTECTING CHILDREN CAN NOT KEEP THEM SAFE. NOT EVEN WHEN CHILDREN DIE IN STATE CARE DO THINGS CHANGE.
Reply to this comment
by gmond July 20, 2007 1:19 PM PDT
This is probably the last we will hear of this story, too much government embarrassment will hush it all up.
Reply to this comment
by toldyouso21 July 20, 2007 1:26 PM PDT
This is not unusual.It is a known fact, commented in several books, that many people in rural communities (northern and southern) take in "boarders" or foster kids for the benefits.

Here is a tip for the police, find any government benefits that have gone to that address or made out to that woman (or any of her fake aliases) for the past 10 years. She is holding them there for welfare and SS or disability benefits. Several authors have written about people in their area who make a living housing foster kids or handicapped state kids. The facts are, they make money by cramming as many as they can in their home.Due to the deregulation by Reagan, there are few state run homes anymore and the unwanted are farmed out to people who often care more about the money than the humans that come with it.

Because so many of the people have mental problems and are apt to wander off, or otherwise get in the way of their "keepers" they are often chained or handcuffed to keep them at the home.

The homes are found often, to be in squalor as no one person can keep up with so many people --and they often have very little help. In addition, cuts in Social services mean many go unmonitored for years. No one should act shocked by this, we would all puke if we had to visit the homes of many of the elderly, disabled and handicapped and see how we really treat and house the people that Reagan and others no longer want to support in state care.
Reply to this comment
by swwils July 20, 2007 1:33 PM PDT
I can't believe that there are so many crazy people loose in this country that have children in their custody.They need to take her and handcuff her to a pole outside and let people throw rotten fruit and veggies at her.Place some food just close enough to where she couldn't reach it,just like they did in the old days.
Reply to this comment
by sandy19731 July 20, 2007 1:35 PM PDT
toldyouso,
You are absolutely right.


The sub-title calls them foster children and then the authorities seem to not have a clue?

something doesn't add up.
Reply to this comment
by previn2 July 20, 2007 1:39 PM PDT
Get a rope..."13 Steps" and "13 Knots". PERIOD!
Reply to this comment
by toldyouso21 July 20, 2007 1:48 PM PDT
I read that in New York, that people can take in as many as 10 other people. At about 450.00/month per person (not counting food stamps) that is 4500.00 a month.

In their eagerness to move the people out (many are not kids but handicapped or mentally disabled adults) the people who take them in are often not vetted very well. This means a lot of private homes may house about 10 people but the caregivers may lack training or have no interest in the welfare of the people. This is not to say that all caregivers are just in it for the money. but in Foster care as well as halfway houses and disabled care, often the government places people who cannot speak for themselves (children or mentally disabled)in households where they can be sexually and physically abused or harmed. In a book called "Country Matters" by Michael Korda the author makes the aside, that in New York, often in trailers or mfg houses hidden on muddy, acreages, many people make their living working for the state in this way. He talks about the squalor and the handcuffing and attack dogs on chains not from a social view point, just as an aside to his moving to the country. Still it points out how grim life is for anyone caught in the system and how we, as a country may talk about caring for the handicapped or mentally disabled--but very few of us are actively involved.

Reply to this comment
by speakinup July 20, 2007 1:53 PM PDT
For a second there, when I saw her picture, I thought I was back on the Michael Vick's dogfighting link.

Eeeew - she is one scarry mutha!
Reply to this comment
by kevlovsit July 20, 2007 1:53 PM PDT
where was her neighbors ???????
Reply to this comment
by torpedotruck July 20, 2007 1:56 PM PDT
did anyone catch that they reprinted one paragraph twice?...

I agree this woman needs to go away for a long, long time.....
Reply to this comment
by toldyouso21 July 20, 2007 1:56 PM PDT
For those who say how horrible this is---how many old, elderly, disabled or fostered kids have you ever helped? If you are not part of a solution, then you are part of the problem. WE allowed the deregulation and the non oversight. This woman is the cruel jailor, but WE aided and abetted by turning over people to her and THOUSANDS more like her. Where exactly did we think all those people went after Reagan and every President after him got them out of the mental institutions, the orphanages and the hospitals? Who do you think is running the half way houses? PRIVATE people.

And when gov. got rid of the hospitals they also cut the oversight. these people probably do not even see a Social worker for years at a time, or when they do, are given lots of warnings before they come out. I'm not excusing this woman, but I am pointing out that every single American is complicit in what was in place to allow this one woman and many others like her to harm others.

The downside of privatizing anything is very little oversight (out of sight out of mind) everywhere the government does that, in time the private business or citizen runs amok--after all, it rarely is about altruism and is about the money. There is a book called "Somewhere a child is crying" if you can stomach it (it is a bunch of case histories) you will learn a lot about what is going on behind closed doors in this country.
Reply to this comment
by toldyouso21 July 20, 2007 2:03 PM PDT
If the police have no idea who these kids are, then who knew she had them? If she were a foster parent or even an adoptive parent, then someone would know who these kids are and where they came from. Posted by mitchschultz at 01:56 PM : Jul 20, 2007

I think you would be surprised at how well our gov. agencies do NOT interface with each other or exchange information.

Here is a possibility. She is not the original care giver, but she is the one who others would turn their charges over to when they had enough OR when the original care giver became too ill or elderly. Here is another: she is the original caregiver, but due to her many aliases she is not in the local system for those people. The key is in the checks she received or receives (and you can bet your sweet boots she wasn't holding them for nothing)

The aliases allow her to have more people than her particular state will allow (for some states the max is 5 people) but always, no matter the crime--FOLLOW THE MONEY. Whether her income came from SS, disability, welfare, or other government sources, OR from others who are the true care givers, who give her a cut to keep their charges--the money and how she got it will reveal a lot. Figure this: if the CIA and the FBI and Homeland Security can't get together to fight terrorism, what makes you think the police and CPS and other gov. agenices are info sharing? The information is there, watch.
Reply to this comment
by extremophil July 20, 2007 2:08 PM PDT
Another candidate for Mother of the Year.
Reply to this comment
by toldyouso21 July 20, 2007 2:09 PM PDT
If the police have no idea who these kids are, then who knew she had them? Posted by mitchschultz at 01:56 PM : Jul 20, 2007

In the early 1980s I was involved in a case where a woman who was being beat by her boyfriend left her children with coworkers and ran off. The co workers called the police, who took the child away. When I got involved, the woman had gotten away from the man (same day) but could not find her kid. The police did not know where the child was sent, and since they did not have a name for him and the coworkers did not know the last name of the woman, the child was just "in the system" intake at several juvenile holding centers had to be done to determine that the child had been sent into the next county due to overcrowding.

We did not do it by name, we had to do it by date of admission and time. The police had no idea who the child was and since they had called CPS, they had no idea what happened from that point on. CPS did not know where the child was, because the case worker in charge had taken the boy in the car to one center, and learning they were over crowded, had taken him to another before electing to remove him to another city in another county altogether. She had not documented her traveling because she planned to do it the next day. WE drove around for around 6 hours and were able to retrieve the boy (who was 3) that night. THAT is just one example of how things can get screwed up.
Reply to this comment
by mountainzen July 20, 2007 2:19 PM PDT
Man, is she strict!

Reply to this comment
by susieq_13 July 20, 2007 2:25 PM PDT
How awful. I can't believe people treat other humans so horribly. There are so many people out there that would and could give these children wonderful loving homes and people like this women get to take care of them instead. That is the government for you I guess.
Reply to this comment
by yardman222 July 20, 2007 2:37 PM PDT
Sheesh! Are you sure that's not a picture of MISTER Leekin?!
Reply to this comment
by salty1954 July 20, 2007 2:50 PM PDT
That mean old hag looks like she climbed the ugly tree, slipped and hit every branch on the way down.

Why does this stuff happen in Florida all the time?
Reply to this comment
by generey July 20, 2007 2:51 PM PDT
Heavy! & I thought my ex was mean.

Sheesh! Are you sure that's not a picture of MISTER Leekin?!
Posted by yardman222 at 02:37 PM : Jul 20, 2007

Too funny LOL!
Reply to this comment
by pastdue1 July 20, 2007 2:59 PM PDT
Hopefully, these people will at least get a similar punishment as some people who breed and fight dogs. Pet advocates seem sometimes to be stronger than child advocates (see quote). Abusers such as this should be put into a national data base, just like *** offenders. If Departments of Children's Services would then do their job and investigate care givers, then no other children would be placed with them.

Dog fighting case: "In South Carolina, after the attorney general got involved, a legendary breeder was convicted in 2004 and sentenced to 40 years in jail. That's sure to get the attention of other "fanciers."

Reply to this comment
by generey July 20, 2007 3:01 PM PDT
Ya think we could get her to be boy georges nanny?
Reply to this comment
by babyboy1233-2009 July 20, 2007 3:16 PM PDT
GOD HAS A SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL FOR THIS WOMEN!!!
Reply to this comment
by hwk_i67 July 20, 2007 3:23 PM PDT
Why does this stuff happen in Florida all the time?
Posted by salty1954 at 02:50 PM : Jul 20, 2007

It's because of all the weirdos coming down from New York! lol
Reply to this comment
by michellem99-2009 July 20, 2007 3:24 PM PDT
fOSRTER HOMES...I was raised in them in the 60s and part of the 70s. And you are now shocked..I am not. They are full of abuse. Don't be shocked,dears as it has been going on for years. Yep years.Everyone turnt away too blind and deaf to the problems years ago. Clean them up dream on. Nope. I hated them. We were taken in for that bloody aid they got. Slave labour as the foster parents were to lazy,old,sick and what not. There are good foster parents mine were all rotten. I was born with spical needs and they were never meant. So if I was able to do their slave labour which was farm related in 1 home I was gone on to the next. So I was moved from home to home. I lived in fear. Started special ed at 10 and the only legally blind multi handicap child in thr school ststem and a girl. That made difference in school. Boys came first in every thing. Teachers were dumb in failing to educate me. Home life was awful.One foster mother took the little sight I in one eye by slapping my face hoping that whould make me see which is now totally blind. A foster father would keep his paws off wen wife in hospital. They gid not care about us.
Reply to this comment
by gramto7 July 20, 2007 3:25 PM PDT
Oh YEAH, she's a demonic sick lunch lady alright. She looks like a ret@rd herself - note the tell-tale close set eyes of the inbred. Back alley trailor trash, pure and simple.
Posted by ***********

Please do not denigrate 'lunch ladies' by comparing them to this piece of garbage. My mom spent her whole working life in school cafeterias. Yes, there are some that do not need to be in that business, but that is true in any service-type job.

As far as the close-set eyes go, take a good look at the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue! His are like that, or maybe even worse!

Thirdly, not everyone who lives or has lived in a mobile home or trailEr is trash.
Reply to this comment
by azmka July 20, 2007 3:27 PM PDT
I'd love to get locked with a chick that hot!
JUST KIDDING!
Reply to this comment
by mountainzen July 20, 2007 3:38 PM PDT
Maybe she handcuffed them because they didn't eat their veggies... or their library book were way overdue.
Reply to this comment
by djberson July 20, 2007 3:46 PM PDT
Thats hot.
Reply to this comment
by ecuadoriana July 20, 2007 3:55 PM PDT
"Why does this stuff happen in Florida all the time?" Posted by salty1954 at 02:50 PM : Jul 20, 2007

Florida doesn't corner the market in abuse or crime cases as you must surely be aware! But Florida's rep of Disney, manatees & dolphins, NASCAR, endless beaches & "wholesome family fun", etc., makes it seem more of a shocker to the rest of the country when stuff like this hits the news. People aren't surprised when this stuff happens in Las Vegas (sin city), or NYC (what freaky stuff is going on in a city that never sleeps, hmmm?), or Detroit (downward spiral of decay & lost dreams)- people almost expect horrible crimes to happen in major cities & back woods trailer/shack parks because every day the news tells us how horrible those places are, whether it's true or not!

But this is the price paid for everyone living with their collect heads in the sand- people have more knowledge about Paris Hilton's love life or who the Next Top Model will be than what happens in their neighbourhoods, back yards, or- even worse- their own homes amongst their own family members.
Reply to this comment
by macusweil July 20, 2007 4:11 PM PDT
maybe she works for the Bush administration
Reply to this comment
by gheemaster38 July 20, 2007 4:22 PM PDT
WHOA!! IS that a woman?????? Are you sure.. Looks like Bob Barker to me...
Reply to this comment
by michellem99-2009 July 20, 2007 4:25 PM PDT
Foster home abuse happens nation wide. Just years ago the social workers were pro foster parents and back then did as you were told by all parties. I told a worker I did not want to attend their church. Worker told me I had to as children then had no rights. I was forced to. Plus kelp my mouth shut on the abuse but I was crying for help. Could not walk out .THIS ISSUE IS NOT A JOKE. I feel for the kids as they are scared for life.
Reply to this comment
by gheemaster38 July 20, 2007 4:26 PM PDT
Nooo the more I look at her, she looks like ARcher Bunker.... yea, it's Archer Bunker
Reply to this comment
by patsy2007-2009 July 20, 2007 4:42 PM PDT
***!

She looks like my father's (yuck) mother, man when I saw her I felt my heart drop. Man these lady could've freaked me out if I was alone at night. I hate her for as evil as she is but I guess all who look alike must be have some come things in life.
Reply to this comment
by mercer_rd July 20, 2007 4:58 PM PDT
"None of the children ever attended school or visited a doctor while in Leekin's care, Vega said."

If nothing else is known how is this known?
Reply to this comment
by mercyme884 July 20, 2007 5:00 PM PDT
Will you people ever learn that you can't believe everything that you read that is written by a stupid newsman...All they want is a story so they lose sight of reality. So where would these poor people be if this woman hadn't taken them in??? maybe they refused to eat maybe she had to go to the grocery and was afraid they would hurt themselves or each other. You just don't know the whole story. But you are so quick to judge someone before you learn the whole truth. why don't you stooges get a life and quit judging others.
Reply to this comment
by jbrittm83 July 20, 2007 5:22 PM PDT
To the person who posted below me...please go away. Nothing you wrote is worth reading. What happened to these people is called ABUSE. There's a little thing called humane treatment that most caregivers tend to abide by...HANDCUFFING and BURNING those you are taking care of does not fall into the "humane" category. Maybe you don't understand that. Whether they wanted to eat or not, there's no excuse for this kind of behavior. I hope you don't have kids at home, and if you do, I feel bad for them.
Reply to this comment
by agnim July 20, 2007 5:24 PM PDT
Did our commander in election thief escaped from that Florida woman to lead sleeping Americans?

I wouldn't doubt it; because he does look like someone who should be in cuffs. LOL
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