Dec 10, 2008 12:37 am US/Pacific
4th Suspect Arrested In Tracy Teen's Torture
PLEASANTON (CBS 5 / AP) ―
-
-
Police mugshot of Anthony Waiters, a suspect in the Tracy teen torture case.
CBS
A fourth person was in police custody in connection with the case of a teenager who recently stumbled into a Tracy health club nearly naked, emaciated and shackled while begging for help, authorities said Tuesday night.
Detectives from the Tracy Police Department arrested 29-year-old Anthony Waiters at his place of work in Pleasanton on Tuesday for allegedly participating in the torture of the 16-year-old boy.
Waiters was booked at the San Joaquin County jail on charges of torture, conspiracy, child endangerment, corporal injury to a child and false imprisonment.
Police did not release any additional information about the arrest, citing a judge's gag order. Tracy police spokesman Matt Robinson said prosecutors would not allow him to disclose further details.
Three other people already face torture, kidnapping and multiple child abuse charges in connection with the case.
Michael Schumacher, 34, his wife, Kelly Layne Lau, 30, and the teen's one-time guardian, Caren Ramirez, 43, were each being held in lieu of more than $2.2 million bail at San Joaquin County Jail.
They had yet to enter pleas to the charges and were due back in court Jan. 5.
Authorities have said Schumacher, Lau and Ramirez had held the boy captive since mid-2007, beating him frequently, denying him food for days at a time and keeping him chained to the fireplace or a heavy table.
The teen told investigators he was seriously burned on his left arm when someone purposely lit a fire in the fireplace while he was chained there and sleeping.
Authorities who later searched the home where the boy allegedly was held reported finding a blanket inside the fireplace. The boy also recounted being choked with a belt until he lost consciousness.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments