Georgia: parents arrested after they kept 3-year-old boy imprisoned in a bedroom living in filth

Cindy Marie Cantu and Kyle Erwin Skinner from Marietta, Georgia, have been arrested after they kept a three-year-old boy imprisoned in a bedroom without food or water after they nailed him in, police said.

Police had to bash down the door last Monday to free the child. They found the boy “living in filth”, stuck in a dirty diaper and with acute rash, according to police reports.

Cindy Marie Cantu, 24, was arrested at Wellstone Kennestone Hospital in Marietta later that night.

The woman was reportedly receiving treatment for injuries sustained in a fight from her boyfriend, Kyle Erwin Skinner, 23.

Kyle Erwin Skinner was arrested the following day. The couple faces charges of cruelty to children and contributing to the delinquency of minors.

Warrants obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution show the couple’s northern Atlanta home to be a place of squalor.

“The condition of the home presented hazards such as insects, faecal matter, rotting food, soiled diapers, standing water in the shower, and general unclean conditions of the home,” the warrants read.

Cindy Marie Cantu and Kyle Erwin Skinner spent Friday night in the Cobb County Jail with a $15,000 bond for Cantu and $25,000 for Skinner. It was unclear if either has an attorney.

Kyle Erwin Skinner faces additional charges of battery and assault.

His arrest warrant states that he pushed Cindy Marie Cantu – who is pregnant – to the ground and hit her several times.

Kyle Erwin Skinner has had several recent brushes with the law, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes. This is his third arrest in the last month.

According to a previous arrest warrant, Kyle Erwin Skinner was cited October 26 for driving with a suspended license, failure to maintain his lane, and for possessing Alprazolam pills, which treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks.

A citation from November 5 shows that Kyle Erwin Skinner was again arrested for driving with a suspended license.