Sheriff: Child chained up and abused, couple charged

TIGARD, Ore. (AP) — A couple has been arrested and accused of chaining up a child for 12 hours at a time in their home near Portland, Oregon, according to law enforcement officials.

Ana Miranda, 67, and Charles “Randy” Ward, 74, were indicted on multiple charges Wednesday, including first-degree criminal mistreatment, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday in a news release. Ward faces four counts of mistreatment, while Miranda was indicted on eight counts of mistreatment, as well as charges of strangulation, assault and unlawful use of a weapon, the sheriff’s office said.

Both have been booked into the county jail on the charges, jail records show. It wasn’t immediately known if they have lawyers to comment on the case.

Detectives were called in late April to investigate suspected child abuse at the home near Tigard, a suburb of Portland, according to the sheriff’s office.

Detectives said they interviewed several witnesses and found evidence during a search of the home that corroborated allegations including that a child was chained up as well as physically and verbally abused.

The abuse happened allegedly as a result of the child taking drinks and food from the kitchen, the news release said.

The couple lived with nine children and two young adults and an investigation is ongoing, police said. Police did not say what relation the couple has to the children and other residents of the home.