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Tortured Tracy Teen's Brother Wants Custody

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Dec 5, 2008 7:21 pm US/Pacific

Tortured Tracy Teen's Brother Wants Custody

 CBS 5 CrimeWatch

STOCKTON (CBS) ― Now that the three people accused of beating and torturing a teenage boy who was kept shackled are in police custody, the boy's older brother is speaking out.

Nineteen-year-old Austin said he could not believe how small his brother, known as 'Kyle,' was when he first saw him this week. Austin said Kyle had not grown an inch since he last saw him. 

"He's sitting there on that bed curled up in a ball because he doesn't want anything to happen to him," Austin told CBS 5.

Austin also said he plans to seek legal custody of Kyle once the boy recovers.

Austin spoke with CBS 5 after Michael Schumacher and Kelly Layne Lau's first court appearance since their arrest following the boy's escape in nothing more than boxer shorts and a chain that was locked around his ankle. The teen was in search of help after allegedly spending more than a year in captivity.

The boy's one-time guardian, Caren Ramirez, was also charged with similar allegations Thursday as she remained under psychiatric evaluation awaiting her court appearance.

Austin called Caren "insane" and said he was also abused by her. He said he was "rescued" from her abuse when a friend of his called his mother to say Austin was being beaten. The mother then called police.

Austin said that CPS had been called several times about the abuse he and Kyle were suffering, but he said he was failed by them.

It's a sentiment shared by one of Kyle's former teachers who wanted CBS 5 to use only her first name, Bonnie. She's said she'll never forget Kyle.

"Kyle was one of my first students when I started my teaching career back in 2001. I have vivid pictures of him laughing...and singing...and just being a normal happy kid," Bonnie told said. "And his potential was taken and I really think it could've been prevented. I'm here to tell you his story tried to be told by teachers and we told CPS that this is wrong. There's abuse in this family."

Bonnie said when she taught Kyle his parents were not around. He was living with Caren Ramirez, who Kyle referred to as Mom. Bonnie said one story she remembers involves Ramirez allegedly leaving Kyle at Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento one night and telling him to walk home.

"This was an 11-year-old boy; it was in the winter time. He was walking well into the night," said Bonnie. "This was after an incident just like that occurred with his brother Austin."

Bonnie and other teachers called CPS in 2002 but Austin and Kyle weren't removed until 2007.

For those interested in donating to a fund of behalf of the teen, please visit sacchildadv.org.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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