A mother, Chazzity Candelario, was sentenced to 16 months to five years in prison for shackling her 11-year-old son to a fuel tank for 17 hours. Candelario, 33 at the time of her arrest, pleaded no contest to felony charges of unlawful restraint and false imprisonment of a minor, along with a misdemeanour charge of endangering the welfare of children.
Candelario’s disturbing actions came to light when law enforcement officers responded to a call at her home in North Lebanon Township, Pennsylvania. The officers found the child restrained with handcuffs to an oil tank in the basement. The investigation revealed that the boy had been shackled to a bunk bed railing after managing to free himself from the oil tank.
Candelario explained that she resorted to such extreme measures because she struggled to control her children while she was at work. She admitted to regularly confining her son in a small utility room, where he would be handcuffed to the oil tank or a post for extended periods.
This was not the first time Candelario faced legal issues involving her children. In 2017, she was arrested on charges related to endangering the welfare of children, marijuana possession, and drug paraphernalia possession in an incident involving her kids.
During her sentencing, Candelario chose not to speak, but her lawyer expressed her remorse. Lebanon District Attorney Pier Hess Graf condemned Candelario’s actions, stating that as a mother, her primary duty was to care for and protect her children, which she failed to do.
In response to the case, Judge Charles Jones emphasized that such treatment of children should never occur and urged Candelario to make amends with her children for the harm caused.