Two Michigan parents have been charged with torturing their adopted children for more than a decade.
Kris and Alan Jones were denied bond Friday when they were arraigned on three counts each of torture and child abuse, WWMT reported.
Court documents say the Joneses forced the children to sleep in the garage regardless of the weather, made them wear dog collars, and fed them dog food with milk and oatmeal with hot sauce.
A care provider first reported the abuse in 2017, but nothing was done. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said a delayed response is common when abuse is reported.
Investigators said the abuse began in 2013, court documents say. The couple adopted the children in 2011, WXMI reported. One of the children was “pushed down stairs, held down, punched and choked.”
Another child was seen eating food from a garbage can as she was “not being fed at home.”
Another punishment was to make the children run, sometimes for miles, if they acted out. A neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, told WWMT she saw the kids running laps around the house and thought it odd.
Court documents say Kris Jones refused to cooperate with the investigation or allow Child Protective Services employees to speak with the children.
News reports about the arrest did not provide the ages of the children or say where they were with their parents now in jail.
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[Featured image: Kris and Alan Jones/Kent County Prosecutor’s Office]
