CERES, Calif. (KCRA) – A victim of suspected child abuse shocked employees and customers when he recently ran into a grocery store in Ceres, California.
The teenage boy had no clothes on, his wrists were tied, and bruises covered his body.
Officials say the 15-year-old boy with autism ran about a block from his home to the Cost Less grocery store for help.
“I could hear people gasp like, you know, like a sound of shock,” said Rebecca Renard, a senior head clerk at Cost Less. “And I turned. And when I did, the young gentleman was coming across the front end with no clothes on.”
The store employees quickly jumped into action, seeing the teen was visibly in danger.
David Avila, the manager of Cost Less, said the teen’s wrists were tied together, and there was another rope on his ankle.
“This kid is in trouble, and we need to get him help,” Avila recalled thinking.
Renard said the boy also had dozens of bruises on his body.
“He had 75 to 100, maybe more, bruises … several bruises all over his body,” she said.
The employees covered the naked teen with a coat and called 911.
“I just kept telling him everything is going to be OK and kept patting him, and saying, ‘Everything is going to be OK. We’re here, we’re going to take care of you,‘” Renard said.
Ceres police arrived shortly after.
While police were at the store, a woman arrived on the scene, claiming she was looking for her son.
Police identified the woman as Leandra Renteria.
Officers then went to Renteria’s home, where they found another child – a 12-year-old girl with autism. Police said she wasn’t hurt.
However, the living conditions in the home were deplorable, police said.
“The living conditions were, you know, feces and urine throughout the house,” said Jeff Godfrey with the Ceres Police Department. “Strong odors, things that are very, you know, strong health hazards that nobody should be living in.”
Neighbors were shocked to hear what happened behind closed doors, because on the outside of the home, flags are flown for Autism Awareness.
Police said the 15-year-old boy and the 12-year-old girl were both taken by Child Protective Services.
The boy’s mother, grandmother, and grandmother’s husband were arrested on charges of child abuse and neglect.
The mother is still in jail, but the grandparents are no longer in custody.
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