Married Oregon couple accused of chaining up child for more than 12 hours a day
05/05/2023 11:36 am PDT
TIGARD, Ore. (TCD) -- Detectives arrested a 67-year-old woman and her 74-year-old husband this week after they allegedly chained up and abused a child for nearly a year.
According to a news release from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, on April 26, officials received a tip about a child who was allegedly "chained up in the house, often for more than 12 hours daily." Detectives learned the child was reportedly "strangled, hit, kicked, and verbally abused, including derogatory slurs" because the victim allegedly took drinks and food from the kitchen.
The Sheriff's Office said detectives executed a search warrant for the home and interviewed multiple witnesses who reportedly corroborated the abuse allegations. As a result, detectives arrested Ana Miranda and her husband, Charles "Randy" Ward. They were each booked into the Washington County Jail.
On Wednesday, May 3, a Washington County grand jury indicted Miranda on eight counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment, strangulation, second-degree assault, and unlawful use of a weapon. Ward was indicted on four counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment.
The Sheriff's Office did not specify the suspects' relationship to the victim but said they lived with nine children and two young adults. The Sheriff's Office learned Miranda allegedly abused numerous children in the home over the span of years.
According to the indictment obtained by KATU-TV, between July 2019 and April 2023, Miranda is accused of "knowingly" withholding food, physical, and medical care from a juvenile on multiple occasions, as well as allegedly assaulting a minor with metal pliers.
KATU reports that the Washington County District Attorney's Office has filed notices to seek sentence enhancements for Miranda and Ward, contending that they exhibited deliberate cruelty toward the victim.
Washington County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Danny DiPietro told KATU, "There are many more children in that home, and the investigation is continuing to see if any of them sustained any injuries or any kind of abuse in the past."
He continued, "I want to make sure everyone knows that the children involved in this case are safe. They're with family."
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