Boy: Mom Kept Me in Closet for 4 1/2 Years

Oklahoma City Mom Mother and Her Friend Arrested for Allegedly Locking Up Son Who Escaped Bedroom Prison at Age of 14..

by Associated Press

Published: Tue, September 29, 2009 - 8:55 am CST Last Updated: Tue, September 29, 2009 - 8:58 am CST

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma - (AP) A woman was arrested after her 14-year-son told authorities he escaped from a home where he'd been kept for 4 1/2 years, spending most of his time locked in a bedroom closet, police said Monday.

A security guard at a National Guard facility in Oklahoma City called police on Friday after the teen showed up malnourished and with numerous scars and other signs of abuse, police Sgt. Gary Knight said.

"He was hungry. He was dirty. He had numerous scars on his body," Knight said. "It was very sad."

The boy was taken to a hospital to be examined and then turned over to the custody of the Department of Human Services, Knight said.

After police interviews, officers on Saturday arrested the boy's mother, 37-year-old LaRhonda Marie McCall, and a friend, 38-year-old Steve Vern Hamilton, on 20 complaints each of child abuse and child neglect. Formal charges have not been filed, and both were being held on $400,000 bond, according to jail records.

Jail officials were not sure wheter either had retained an attorney, and no one answered the phone at McCall's home. A police report listed McCall as a pharmaceutical company employee and Hamilton as a cab driver.

The teen, wearing only a pair of oversized shorts held up by a belt, walked up to a security guard at the Guard facility around 5 p.m. Friday and asked where a police station was located so he could report being abused, according to a police report.

He told police that scars on his stomach and torso were from where alcohol had been poured on him and set on fire. Other scars were from being tied up, hit with an extension cord and choked, the boy told police.

"He had scars covering most of his body," Knight said. "They were basically from head to foot."

The teen told police he moved to the Oklahoma City area from New Jersey about 4 1/2 years ago after his mother was released from jail. Since arriving in Oklahoma, he said, he had never been to school and spent most of his time locked in a bedroom closet.

He told police the closet door was mostly blocked with a stepladder or a bed and that he managed to push the door open enough to escape and leave the house.

Knight said six other children living at the home were taken into DHS custody, but none showed signs of abuse. McCall had lived at several different addresses in the Oklahoma City area, he said.

A DHS spokeswoman said she could not discuss specific cases but generally an investigation would be conducted before any of the children are returned to the home or placed with other family members.

"There may be family members, but we do a diligent search, and we're very careful about placing kids in a safe environment," DHS spokeswoman Beth Scott said.

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ronald t Says:

Fri, Oct 02, 2009 at 2:13 am

i know lillybell sometimes i cant help myself.i sorry, maybe i will get better.yeah right

bobcat Says:

Thu, Oct 01, 2009 at 11:51 am

I just hope this mother didn’t have suspicions the boy was gay. Forcing him to stay in the closet. She should be charged with a hate crime if that’s the case.

claycitymadness Says:

Thu, Oct 01, 2009 at 10:58 am

theres probably more to the story we havent been told. six other kids around and they didint tell? something’s fishy in denmark.

ickthus Says:

Thu, Oct 01, 2009 at 8:36 am

a closet no, 4x8 cell for twice as many years? yes!

lillybell Says:

Thu, Oct 01, 2009 at 7:16 am

Ronald your a jerk

mob1 Says:

Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 7:50 am

We could keep her locked away in a closet, no wait that would be considered slavery.

ronald t Says:

Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 4:37 am

well at least it kept him out of jail.

lillybell Says:

Tue, Sep 29, 2009 at 4:20 pm

What a terrible mother! This is outrageous. She should spend the rest of her life in prison and I would only hope that she would get the same treatment from other prisoners as she has done to her son. She deserves to be beat up and tortured for the rest of her sorry life.