Couple tied up Florida boy to keep him from eating, deputies say

Teacher alerts authorities to boy's bruises, cuts

MCCLENNY, Fla. – A Florida sheriff is crediting an observant elementary school teacher for speaking up when a student came to class with a cut and bruises on his face.

Baker County Sheriff Scotty Rhoden said on Facebook that the boy's guardians -- 38-year-old Kenneth Haley and his 59-year-old mother Carmen Yeomans -- are accused of tying him up at night to keep him from eating, and of beating him so badly he required medical attention.

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Deputies said he had bruises behind an ear and above his eye, and a cut on his forehead.

The Florida Department of Children and Families removed the boy and his three siblings. Officials said Haley was violating his probation in a child neglect case.

Teachers are legally required to report suspicions of abuse or neglect in Florida.


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