A Chandler couple is facing child neglect-related charges after a maintenance worker found their severely disabled 8-year-old son locked inside a bathroom alone and naked in an apartment earlier this week.
Vu Quang Tran, 35, and Siobhan Grogan, 34, who told police they began locking their son alone inside a bathroom in August, were arrested on suspicion of child neglect Tuesday evening — moments after they arrived in an attempt to provide food and clothing for their son at the apartment at 1400 N. Alma School Road.
The maintenance worker discovered the boy earlier in the day after the boy had stuffed his clothes inside the toilet, causing it to flood the residence, according to Chandler police.
Officers initially were unable to find the boy’s parents, but later that evening, the couple returned and were placed under arrest.
Officers learned that the couple had left their son locked in the bathroom alone on numerous occasions after they initially did so to “test” him to see if he would harm himself after they placed him in there.
The couple said they began locking him in the bathroom in August so that they could lead a normal life with their 5-year-old daughter.
Detectives from the Chandler Police Department are seeking the public’s help in locating any acquaintances of Tran and Grogan who knew them during the last year.
“Our question is, how long have they been locking this child up in the bathroom?,” said Detective Seth Tyler, a Chandler police spokesman. “Are their friends and acquaintances even aware that this couple has a son as they are not taking him into the public and confining him? That’s what we’re looking at.”
“We would like anyone who knew or knows this couple to come forward,” Tyler added.
Both the boy and the 5-year-old girl have been removed from the home and now are in the care of Child Protective Services, according to Tyler.
The couple, who does not have a criminal record, has lived in the Valley for three years. They moved to Arizona from Fresno, Calif., Tyler said.
Contact writer: (480) 898-6533 or msakal@evtrib.com
aaarrrggghhh posted at 11:02 pm on Sat, Oct 13, 2012.
Twin1: Did you read my post? No, I didn't think so. What I said (and here I'll assume that saying it again will actually sink it into your head) was: How was this situation made better by criminalizing the parents? The answer: It wasn't. But this is completely typical of the way AZ (and you) handle these kinds of situations. Read, BEFORE you shoot off your mouth. I never said it's OK to lock up a kid to save taxpayer dollars.
AZ waste tax payer monies posted at 8:24 pm on Sat, Oct 13, 2012.
every think maybe the kid lock himself up or the lock is already locked and he push the door closed. most mental kids like to be alone in there own little world.
Juggernaut8000 posted at 1:11 pm on Fri, Oct 12, 2012.
At least now they don't have to deal with the child anymore. Now, my taxes get to support the little window licker.
Twin1 posted at 6:11 am on Fri, Oct 12, 2012.
aarrgh, just because a child is severely disabled does not mean it's okay to lock that child in a bathroom. If this child remained locked up into adulthood, and the parents kicked him out of the house, think of how much tax dollars it would take to rehabilitate him. Just because you beleive it's okay to lock a child up like that to save tax dollars doesn't make it right. And what is the definition of a "normal life?" One would think the sister would develop insight and understanding regarding her brother. Having her going through childhood with a brother locked in a bathroom is not "normal."
aaarrrggghhh posted at 10:13 pm on Thu, Oct 11, 2012.
Am I missing something there? They were faced with a "severely disabled" 8 year old. They put him somewhere where minimal harm could come to him so they could get food etc for him and provide a normal life for his sister. How is spending cop dollars and CPS and Court dollars on this situation going to make it better? He's now in CPS custody along with his sister -- good luck surviving AZ CPS kiddies! How is the royally terribly messed up State of AZ going to do any better by these kids? Maybe the intervention should have been BEFORE the parents were treated like criminals??? Naw, that would be too smart for AZ.