Authorities in Texas arrested three people after they allegedly put a 6-year-old boy into a laundromat dryer and turned it on for a minute.
The incident occurred around 11 p.m. on Monday at Hi Tek Washateria in Houston, as reported by the Harris County Constable Precinct 4. When deputies arrived, the boy was not seriously injured but was visibly shaking and crying. One of the suspects tried to run away when police approached. As deputies chased him, a woman, identified as 19-year-old Life Ford, blocked their path. The police eventually caught the fleeing suspect, 20-year-old Jaqory Gill. The third suspect, 18-year-old Haven Duncan, was found with a stolen gun.
Detectives reviewed surveillance video from the laundromat, which allegedly showed Duncan picking up the boy and forcing him into the dryer. The boy tried to resist but was unable to escape. After Duncan placed the boy inside, Ford shut the door while Duncan held it closed. Gill then used a credit card to pay for the wash cycle and pressed the “on” button, leaving the boy inside for about a minute. Afterward, Duncan took the boy out and put him in a laundry cart, while Gill and Ford reportedly swung it around aggressively.
A witness who called the police said the incident happened because the boy was crying over a lost bag of chips, and the suspects wanted to punish him. All three suspects face charges of child endangerment. Gill is also charged with evading arrest, and Ford faces a charge of interfering with police. They were taken to the Harris County Jail, where only Duncan remained by Wednesday afternoon.
A guardian picked up the boy and took him home, and Child Protective Services has been notified about the situation.
