A mother in Lebanon County, Chazzity Candelario, 33, has been charged with false imprisonment, unlawful restraint, and endangering the welfare of her 11-year-old son after police say she confessed to handcuffing him to a fuel tank in their basement.
District Attorney Pier Hess Graf stated that this type of punishment was not unusual for the boy, who had experienced similar treatment before, unlike his siblings. The incident occurred on January 11 when Candelario woke her son at 5 a.m. to reprimand him for eating too many hot dogs, which she had seen on surveillance cameras.
Candelario then took her son to the basement, handcuffed him to the fuel tank, and left him there for hours. The boy eventually managed to free himself and recuffed himself to his bunk bed, fearing what would happen when his mother returned. He went without food, water, or access to a bathroom for 17 hours.
Finally, he was able to borrow a cell phone from a sibling and called 911. When police arrived, they found the boy and Candelario admitted to chaining him to the oil tank. She also confessed to locking him in a small utility room at times.
Candelario told police that she struggles to control her children while at work. The district attorney emphasized that such punishments are unacceptable and that her office is committed to protecting children from abuse.
Hess Graf expressed concern for the boy’s well-being, stating, “No child should have to endure this.” She urged anyone witnessing child abuse to report it, as it often goes unnoticed without intervention.
Candelario is currently held in Lebanon County Prison with a bail set at $100,000.
