Chained teen shows up at Calif. gym, 2 arrested

[cosmicone]

Source: AP/Yahoo

SAN FRANCISCO – A husband and wife have been charged with torture and other counts after a bruised, terrified 17-year-old showed up at a gym with a chain locked to his ankle, claiming he had just fled his captors, authorities said Tuesday.

Kelly Layne Lau, 30, and Michael Schumacher, 34, were arrested late Monday, said Matt Robinson, a spokesman for police in Tracy.

They had been taken into custody for questioning earlier in the day at their home in Tracy, where the emaciated boy was allegedly held against his will. A search of the home turned up evidence implicating the couple, Robinson said. Tracy is about 60 miles east of San Francisco.

They were charged with torture, kidnapping and child abuse, and were set to appear in court Thursday, officials said. Bail was set at $1.2 million for Michael Schumacher but his wife's bail had not been set, authorities said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081202/ap_on_re_us/shackled_teen

[ronnykmarshall]

1. Pieces of shit.

Hope the two fuckers rot in jail.

[shadowknows69]

2. WTF!!!

What Hell are people like this spawned from?

[ksimons]

3. human garbage

needs to be disposed of - no need to pay to keep this trash incarcerated. lock 'em up, throw away the key and walk away and see how they like that sh*t

[truthisfreedom]

4. Now hold on here folks, there may be a perfectly good explanation. Let's wait for all of the facts

before we string these people up and cut out their entrails.

Sickening!

[ladywnch]

12. can you explain to me a set of facts that would make this okay? n/t

[kansasblue]

5. "He said `Don't let them get me, don't let them get me,'" Ellis said. "He was totally terrified."

[medeak]

6. Will Nancy Grace cover this or still on the "tot mom"

boy looked to be 10 or 12 yrs old.... how emaciated was he for gawd's sake!!!!

[xchrom]

7. can you believe -- he is 17. nt

[pacalo]

8. This is just awful.

In abusive cases, I wish the law were literally "an eye for an eye..." As their punishment, they should be chained, starved, & beaten.

[bluedeminredstate]

9. WTF?

"They were charged with torture, kidnapping and child abuse, and were set to appear in court Thursday, officials said. Bail was set at $1.2 million for Michael Schumacher but his wife's bail had not been set, authorities said."

How is this guy able to get ANY bail? Why would charges of these kind warrant bail of any sort? This is astounding to me.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

10. That poor boy...He ran away from his foster home

to go look for his family; and these scumbags picked him up. :cry:

[knitter4democracy]

11. That kind of story brings out the mama bear in me.

I just want to hug him and feed him and then go kick their asses. Poor kid. I've taught 17 y.o. boys and seen them hurt from what parents have done to them, and it just makes me growl and want to bring them home and raise them right with lots of food and love.

[Faygo Kid]

13. Yikes!

More stuff to come, no doubt. A bad movie is likely.

[medeak]

14. woman was girl scout leader!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/02/girl-scout-leader-and-hus_n_147905.html

why on earth was this moved to CA forum?

[gorbal]

15. the aunt has been arrested

http://www.mercurynews.com/crime/ci_11128173

also the boy is finally being questions by investigators-

http://www.examiner.com/a-1724059~Police_detail_escape_in_Calif_shackled_teen_case.html

I guess he was chained to the inside of a vehicle...whose?

[mackerel]

16. He was reported as a runaway and nobody cared what

happened to him. The couple have four young children.

[mackerel]

17. If you read that article about the guardian (Ramirez) you'll

see the system failed that boy. Now what? Will he ever be the same? Did he ever have a chance?

[mackerel]

18. Does anyone know if there is away to send him some

support e.g. a Christmas card with words of encouragement. ?