A West Virginia grandma is in jail, charged with abuse, after police say an 8-year-old girl escaped the woman’s home in handcuffs. Police arrested Laura Southworth, 54, after her granddaughter allegedly ran to a neighbor’s home asking for help. The grandmother reportedly has custody of four children and homeschools them from her residence in Charleston.
According to court documents obtained by People, police received a call around 9 a.m. on September 23. A concerned neighbor claimed a young child was at their home accusing her grandmother of abuse. When police arrived, the grandmother allegedly admitted to handcuffing the child because she was “making a mess.”
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The child fled to a neighbor's home.
According to the complaint, the neighbor called the police after the child showed up at their house in handcuffs. The child “was able to slip the handcuff off her right wrist but was unable to slip the one off her left wrist,” People reported. Police spoke with the child and then went to Southworth’s home for her story.
Police found four children in the home.
According to Metro News, when police arrived at the woman’s home on Bridge Road in Charleston, they found Southworth’s biological sons, 14 and 16, and a 3-year-old girl. The investigation determined that the 3-year-old and 8-year-old were Southworth’s grandchildren. She has custody of all four children. Police described the home as “extremely messy,” with items all over the floor.
Southworth reportedly homeschooled the children.
Southworth claimed to homeschool the children, Metro News reported. A Kanawha County Schools spokesperson told the news outlet that Southworth filed a notice of intent for the three older children to be placed on homeschool status in 2022. The school system is investigating the children’s history in public schools.
Police spoke with Southworth about the allegations.
The grandmother reportedly admitted to handcuffing the child 13 hours earlier because she was allegedly making a mess and “stealing food and placing it in hidden areas,” WOWK reported. Police arrested Southworth, who was charged with child abuse and unlawful restraint.
She was taken to on a $10,000 bond, Metro News reported. It was unclear whether she has obtained an attorney or entered a plea.
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Some family members disagree with Southworth's childrearing.
Danielle Marie Southworth posted about the grandmother on Facebook expressing her dislike. “Yeah, I’ve seen the news regarding the OG family terror of the Southworths. No, I don’t have any particular thought about it currently. I’ve made my distaste for Laura clear for many years and there’s a lot she’s said and done that I’ve found entirely unsurprising.
“This, however, is coming from about as far as left field goes,” the post continued. “I’m happier for now just assuming she is a genuinely horrible human and continuing my tradition of not giving her a second thought.”
