The California mother accused of keeping her 13 malnourished children chained up in their dirty Perris home was reportedly smirking and spitting as officers arrested her and her husband on Sunday.
A neighbor who spoke with U.K. paper the Mirror described Louise Anna Turpin, 49, as acting “weird” as police took her and her husband David Allen Turpin, 57, were taken into custody.
“She was, like, just coughing, acting a little weird, just, like, kept looking,” the neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, said. ”
[A] police officer kept talking and she kept just, like, smirking and, like, kinda, like, she spit twice down at the floor.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Louise and David are accused of keeping their 13 children, ranging in age from 2 to 29, shackled in their home. A police statement indicated that the children were dirty and malnourished when officers discovered them.
The couple’s 17-year-old daughter allegedly fled the home Sunday and called police with a cell phone she had stolen from the home. The teen went on to tell officers that she and her 12 siblings were being held captive in the Perris home.
Louise and David are charged with torture and child endangerment. Bail was set at $9 million each.
This is a developing story. Check back with CrimeOnline for updates as they become available.
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[Featured Image: Louise Anna Turpin/Riverside County Sheriff’s Department]
