Pennsylvania mom sentenced after chaining son to oil tank for eating too many hot dogs

LEBANON COUNTY, Penn. (TCN) -- A mother has been sentenced to state prison after her 11-year-old son was handcuffed to an oil tank in the basement.

On Jan. 11, 2025, the Lebanon County District Attorney’s Office announced Chazzity Candelario, 33 was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, false imprisonment, and unlawful restraint. Officers had been dispatched to her address after receiving reports of a child in handcuffs, WHP reports.

Nearly a year later, on Jan.7, Candelario pleaded no contest to the charges and was sentenced to 16 months to five years in state prison, WGAL reports.

Her child had called 911 and responding officers found him restrained. His mother, Candelario, admitted that she did this when it was difficult to control him, according to WHP. 

WPMT reported at the time that Candelario allegedly woke her son, who has not been named, at 5 a.m. because she was upset about how many hot dogs he had eaten. The child told police officers, who arrived at nearly 10 p.m. that day, that his mother kept track of what he ate and monitored in-home cameras to check in on what he was eating and how much. After waking him, she chained him in the basement and then allegedly left for the day to go to work. 

During that time, the child reportedly freed himself because he was cold and dialed 911, but he was afraid of repercussions, so he then handcuffed himself to his bunk bed, according to WPMT.

According to WPMT, Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf said, “I can’t imagine being that little boy and thinking this one person on earth, who is supposed to love me and care for me and protect me, this is what she thinks is appropriate to do to me.”

According to Law & Crime, Candelario was also arrested in 2017 for drug charges and endangering the welfare of children. 

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