According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, six children allegedly suffered from foster parents at their Victorville home, while another adult has been at least a decade.
Authorities arrested Kenneth and Tina Key, 60, on Monday, as well as daughter Katlynn Key, 23, on suspicion of abuse. Department officials said in a press release that the ages of foster children in the home range from 5 to 16 years old.
Investigators from the Sheriff’s Department launched a February 13 investigation into reports of serious and prolonged abuse in a Victorville home. Sheriff's spokesman Gloria Orejel said the children were taken out of the house shortly after the investigation began.
All three suspects were arrested on suspicion of torture and detained on $1 million bail. They were scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday and were not formally charged by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, but authorities are expected to file charges by the end of the day.
Orejel said there were no other details about the alleged torture and there were no reports of abuse before the investigation began. According to Orejel, some of the so-called abuses date back at least 10 years since the children were first placed in the home of the key.
Anyone who provides information about the case can contact Katie Merrill, a detective in the specialized investigation department, at (909) 890-4904. Anonymous tips can be made using (800)78 Crime (27463) or the We-Tip hotline at www.wetip.com.
