TOWANDA, Pa. — A Pennsylvania couple was arrested on child abuse charges for allegedly torturing two kids in their care for nearly a week.
State police said Shyann Hills and Jayako Frye were watching a 7-year-old and a 9-year-old for six days. In that time, troopers said the couple tied the kids up, and they wouldn’t let the children eat, sleep, or even use the bathroom.
Troopers took Hills and Frye into custody from their trailer on Crimson Maple Drive in Rome. They face a slew of charges, including aggravated assault. The two children needed to be hospitalized after the abuse they endured.
Neighbors were shocked to hear the news.
“It’s hard to believe, actually. I’ve seen them, and I can’t believe it happened, actually,” Tammy Vanderpol told WNEP.
State police said the couple forced the young kids to lie down in a planking position with sharp nails underneath them, so if the kids went down, they would fall onto the nails.
Troopers said Hills and Frye also tied the kids to a dog cage and a cabinet. The couple also forced other children to hit the victims while they were restrained.
“They should get the same treatment if not worse. That’s just nasty,” Vanderpol said.
Hills and Frye are both locked up in the Bradford County jail, Hills on a $500,000 bail and Frye on $750,000.