Monday, May 13, 2013

Dad accused of tying 12-year-old son to concrete pole with cable wire (Miami, Florida)

Dad is identified as ADOLFO GUZMAN. Notice that there is no mention of a mother in the home, and that the boy is now "staying with relatives."

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/13/3395258/father-accused-of-tying-son-to.html

Father accused of tying son to laundry pole outside Miami Beach home

Adolfo Guzman, 49, is being held at a Miami detention center, accused of using bicycle cable wires to tie his 12-year-old son to a concrete laundry pole by his ankle because the boy left home without permission.

By GINA CHERELUS

A Miami Beach man was charged with aggravated child abuse after tying his son to a pole in front of their home near 71st Street for several hours, police said Monday.

Adolfo Guzman, 49, is being held at a Miami detention center, accused of using bicycle cable wires to tie his 12-year-old son to a concrete laundry pole by his ankle because the boy left home without permission.

Guzman left to go shopping shortly after, leaving the child tied up for a couple of hours, according to police.

Jehovah’s Witnesses going door to door noticed the tied-up child and notified police, Miami Beach spokesman Bobby Hernandez said.

Officers called in Miami Beach Fire Rescue to cut the boy free of the wire bicycle lock.

“This is a horrific crime. It is unbelievable that someone would do this to their child,” Hernandez said. “It’s wrong to leave a dog chained up, much less your own son.”

According to the police report, Guzman warned his son, after an earlier incident on Saturday where he wandered off, that if he left again, he would be tied up as a punishment.

The 12-year-old complained that the cables caused him pain in his ankles but no other injuries were reported. The Department of Children & Families is collaborating with police, said spokeswoman Lissette Valdes-Valle. The 12-year-old is staying with relatives, she said.

The family has no previous history with the department. A hearing on where the boy will stay is set for Tuesday.

Guzman is being held on $50,000 bond.