A mother in Pennsylvania is facing serious charges after police say she locked her 11-year-old son in the basement for hours at a time while she was at work, using handcuffs to restrain him to a fuel tank and other objects.
Chazzity Candelario, 33, from North Lebanon Township, has been charged with felony unlawful restraint and false imprisonment of a minor, as well as misdemeanor child endangerment... Continue reading here ▶
She was arrested in 2017 for similar charges involving her children, according to the Lebanon Daily News.
On January 11, 2025, police were called to a home on East Kercher Avenue after reports that an 11-year-old boy was found handcuffed. Police said the boy’s mother, Candelario, had restrained him by handcuffing him to an oil tank in the basement.
When police arrived, they spoke to Candelario’s children, who led officers to a bedroom where the boy was found handcuffed to the top bunk of a bed.
The boy told officers that he had been locked in the basement but managed to escape. While free, he accidentally handcuffed himself to the bed. Police contacted Candelario, who reportedly told them not to speak with her children until she returned home.
Once back, she allegedly explained that she couldn’t control her son while she worked, so she started locking him in a small utility room and handcuffing him to the oil tank. The boy said he was often restrained for up to two hours at a time.
Candelario was arrested in 2017 along with her partner, John Zayas, for child endangerment and drug-related charges. Zayas was also charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Candelario frequently posted pictures of her children on Facebook, including a Halloween photo from 2021 where one of her sons wore fake handcuffs.
Candelario is being held in Lebanon County Correctional Facility on a $100,000 bail. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on January 23.
