Recent events occurring in Perris, California have resulted in the rescue of 13 tortured and starving children imprisoned by their parents in their own homes. On Sunday Jan. 14, one of their 17 year old daughters, who had been planning her escape for years, broke free of the house to make a desperate call to 911.

Police entered the home to find the other children, ages ranging from two to 29, shackled to furniture and suffering from malnourishment. The children were deprived of most of their basic necessities, such as food, access to a bathroom and the ability to leave the house. Their parents would only allow the children to bathe once a year, and would buy food and leave it on the counter, letting the starving children to look at the food but not eat it. The two parents of the children, 57 year old David Turpin and his 49 year old wife Louis Turpin, were charged with the felonies of torture, child abuse, and false imprisonment.

“The police may have arrested the parents, but the children were still left abused,” freshman Sydney Denison said.

The couple pleaded not guilty to the court. If convicted, the pair faces a sentence of 94 years to life in prison. Defendants of the couple have declared the court to be “challenging,” but are convinced of their innocence.

“These parents obviously imprisoned the children, so I don’t understand why they bother lying about it,” Denison said. “They’re just going to get in more trouble.”

The discovery of the children came along with the findings of their journals, which depicted the horrible incidents that transpired within the household. Police also found two of the couples’ dogs, which were apparently well fed, trained and healthy.

Since the discovery of the children, the community in Perris has stepped up by leaving balloons, flowers and stuffed animals on the steps of the home. Many members of the community have expressed hope for the children and have prayed for their recovery.

“It’s very kind of them [to help the children], and it just shows what working as a community can do to help them,” Denison said.

The children recovered from the home have been taken into a local hospital and are being cared for.