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Police: Boy Escapes Father Who Chained Him to Table for Days

John Vang, Thong Vue

SACRAMENTO, CA – (AP) Police say a 13-year-old Sacramento boy escaped after spending at least two days locked in chains by his father and stepmother.

Officer Konrad von Schoech says the boy was chained from Wednesday until Friday night, tethered to a kitchen table most of the time. The teen managed to free himself when his father and stepmother left the house to go gambling, reported CBS affiliate KOVR.

Investigators say the boy’s 41-year-old father, John Vang, and 34-year-old stepmother, Thong Vue, were arrested and booked for investigation of false imprisonment and child cruelty. They were released on bail Saturday. The teenager was placed in the custody of his biological mother.

According to KOVR, Sacramento police said they found the 13-year-old victim asking neighbors for help just before 10:00 p.m. Friday, while still restrained by lengths of chain padlocked around his neck and ankles.

The sight of the chained boy startled neighbor Samantha Xiong, who had her own two young children in her house, the station reported.

“The little boy was walking and he asked us for a chain cutter,” Xiong said. “I told him we didn’t have one, so he just walked away.”

Samantha said she thought the boy may have been an escaped prisoner and didn’t offer any further assistance, something she says she now regrets.