The 13-year-old boy’s adoptive parents in Indiana are under arrest after it is alleged that they forced him to endure up to 10 days without access to a toilet in a camper outside the home as punishment.
The child was eventually sent to a mental health facility, and the parents refused to pick him up when he was released.
According to documents obtained by Law&Crime, Patricia and Richard Heitz were detained on Wednesday and accused with two charges each of neglect of a dependent, which includes abandoning or cruelly confining a dependent.
A probable cause document acquired by Law&Crime states that on July 5, 2024, the Department of Child Services (DCS) received a report stating that the victim was being neglected and abused. DCS then launched an investigation into the parents. The kid and his two younger siblings “get ‘whoopings’ with belts and paddles on their buttocks,” according to the report.
In addition, it was claimed that the victim’s punishment included being made to “eat lumpy oatmeal with vinegar” and spend the night “outside in the family’s camper during the winter months with no working heat or utilities.”
The victim was placed on a one-week hold at the Memorial Epworth Center, a psychiatric hospital for adults and adolescents 13 years of age and above, on July 6, where the Heitzs took him.
After the boy’s mental health “deteriorated” during the previous six months, the boy’s parents informed DCS later that day that they “did not want him around the other two children in the home due to his ‘aggressive’ tendencies.”
The youngster was “in no danger,” according to the parents, who denied physically assaulting him and claimed that all of the kids had been forced to sleep in the camper at one point. In addition, both parents declared that they “acknowledged the consequences of refusing” to let the victim return and that they did not want him to.
The other two kids in the house claimed the victim made them feel “unsafe,” but they both disputed that their parents had physically harmed them.
The victim acknowledged that his adoptive parents were “good people” but stated he did not like them in an interview with a child services investigator that same day. In addition, he restated his allegations of being assaulted and had to spend the night in the camper.
On July 12 and 13, the victim was released from the hospital, and the Heitzes declined to pick him up, thus they were once more accused of neglect.
According to the affidavit, “Richard and Patricia were aware of the consequences for such action, and still did not make alternative arrangements.” “Patricia explained that she had to defend the other kids.”
Though they had not looked to enroll their son in therapy or seek medication to control his conduct, the victim’s parents maintained that their son needed more assistance than they could offer. They reaffirmed that they would not permit him to return to the house.
The affidavit claims that Patricia stated that she and Richard intended to relinquish their parental rights and that “there’s nothing you can do about it.” “Patricia added that she and Richard had already prepared a plan for the other two kids in the event that they were arrested.”
The victim stated in a later interview with a forensic expert that in addition to being beaten, further penalties included deprivation of food and up to eight hours of hard labor outdoors. He also stated that there were instances when he would have to spend more than a week by himself in the camper—at least twice when there was snow on the ground.
According to the affidavit, “[The victim] said the camper didn’t have electricity or heat.” “He claimed there was a restroom, but he was forced to use grocery-style bags instead of being permitted to use it.”
Both of the Heitzes were freed after putting up a $15,000 bond. On Friday morning, the pair showed up for their initial court appearance.
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