An Arizona couple is facing serious felony charges after authorities say they handcuffed their 9-year-old son to a dining room table and struck him with a tree branch as punishment.
According to Law & Crime, Rita and Staffon Barr told investigators the punishment stemmed from an incident that occurred on a school bus on May 5. Police reports state that Staffon Barr, who works at a juvenile detention center, allegedly told authorities he wanted to show the child what happens to “bad kids.”
Affidavit Details Allegations
Court documents describe the child’s account of the incident. “The victim disclosed that the defendant handcuffed him behind his back, but he (the victim) was able to maneuver them to the front. He then disclosed that the defendant handcuffed him to the table,” the affidavit states.
Investigators confirmed the alleged incident occurred inside the couple’s home. Authorities also reported that Staffon Barr is the child’s stepfather.
The boy and his sister reportedly told investigators that he frequently used a tree branch as punishment when the child misbehaved. One prior incident was reportedly brought to a school nurse’s attention after the boy complained about pain in his arm and chest. Officials said the nurse’s findings were consistent with physical evidence later discovered in the home.
Conflicting Accounts and Evidence Found
Police say the couple gave conflicting statements during questioning.
According to reports, Rita Barr told investigators that they began hitting the child after showing him videos of children who were caught committing crimes.
Authorities also located Staffon Barr’s duty belt in the back seat of a Nissan Altima, wrapped in a white blanket.
“Tolleson Police located the defendant’s duty belt in the back seat of the Nissan Altima wrapped in a white blanket. On the duty belt was a single handcuff pouch containing a single pair of stainless-steel handcuffs with the name ‘Barr’ printed on one of the cuffs.”
Both Rita and Staffon Barr now face felony child abuse and aggravated assault charges.