Two couples — Eduardo Vazquez, 22, William Torres-Morales, 22, Elizabeth Tarvin, 33, and Veronica Sanchez, 32 — were arrested on Thursday on charges that include aggravated child abuse, negligent child abuse and failure to report child abuse, according to local CBS affiliate WKMG.
The investigation that led to the arrest of the four adults was prompted by a Department of Children and Families referral of child abuse allegations claiming nine children between the ages of seven and 13 were being disciplined using a hand-held stun gun device.
All nine children lived together with the two sets of adults in the same Lakeland, Florida house. When police originally investigated earlier this month, Torres-Morales said the children had found the stun gun and were shocking each other with the device. Two of the children were removed at that time because they showed multiple bruises and two-prong burns, apparent stun gun injuries, according to Fox News.
Torres-Morales then changed his story, telling police he had lied, and that he and Vazques were using the stun gun to discipline the children. Torres-Morales also said that he and Vazquez made the male children do push-ups, and every time a child couldn’t do a push-up, the stun gun was used.
According to the police report, Tarvin and Sanchez knew the men were using the stun gun on the children and they were charged with negligent child abuse. The two women said they were afraid of saying anything for fear of losing their relationship with the men or of losing their children.
