Three adults are facing charges of child endangerment after they worked together to force a 6-year-old child into a dryer at a Texas laundromat. Once they strong-armed the child into the machine, they turned it on, possibly leaving the little one in there for several minutes. Fortunately, bystanders called for help.
It is still unknown why the adults were with their victim at a laundromat or why the young boy was even in their care. No word yet if any of them will face jail time or go to court.
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The adults put the child's life in danger.
Duncan Haven, Jaqory Gill, and Life Ford were arrested after allegedly locking the child in a laundromat dryer. In a Facebook post, Mark Herman, constable for Precinct 4 in Harris County, Texas, explained that authorities responded to a call about an incident at the Hi Tek Washateria in Houston.
The adults allegedly put the child in the dryer as a form of punishment.
When authorities arrived, they found the 6-year-old “visibly shaking and crying.” According to the post, as police began the investigation, they learned that the child, who was in the care of Haven, Ford, and Gill, had become upset after losing a bag of chips. That’s when the three adults, ages 18, 19, and 20, decided to put him in the dryer to punish him.
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The details are nothing short of horrific.
People reviewed an affidavit in which investigators allege that Duncan put the child in the dryer, and the boy resisted by using his feet to fight back. Duncan allegedly “repositioned” the child inside, “using force to prevent him from coming out,” according to video footage they examined.
As they struggled, Ford shut the door, police allege, allowing Duncan to hold it closed. Then Gill used a card to start the machine. The affidavit claims the child was only in the dryer for a minute before Duncan took him out before putting him in a cart and spinning it around aggressively, People reported. But in Herman’s Facebook statement, the boy’s time in the dryer “lasted approximately 5 minutes” before bystanders called for help.
It's unclear what kind of relationship the child has with the three adults.
Both the police and EMS arrived at the laundromat, and the victim was examined by EMS before being released into the care of his guardian.
According to the affidavit, the child’s mother’s arrived while the police were still at the scene. She allegedly scolded the child, saying “he was being a baby while they were playing,” People reported. Unfortunately, the meaning behind her words is unknown. The police separated them. The mother was not charged in the case. Her relationship to the three suspects and their relationship to each other is unknown.
Each of the suspects is facing different charges.
According to Harris County court documents uncovered by People, Duncan has been charged with child endangerment. He is being held on a $75,000 bond after it was raised from a $10,000 bond.
Gill, who allegedly ran away, was charged with endangering a child and evading arrest, and posted a $100 bond, according to the constable’s post on Facebook. Ford, who reportedly “pushed the arm of the deputy,” allowing Gill to flee, was charged with interfering with the duties of a public servant. Later, a child endangerment charge was added. She posted a $100 bond.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is [available 24/7](https://childhelphotline.org/).
