Mother who was arrested after handcuffed daughter escaped to neighbor’s home for help claimed child was ‘stealing’ food: Police

Laura Elizabeth Southworth (West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation).

A woman handcuffed her daughter for hours before the girl managed to flee to a neighbor’s home, according to cops in Charleston, West Virginia.

Laura Southworth, 54, is charged with child neglect resulting in injury, child neglect creating risk of injury, and unlawful restraint.

On Monday, officers with the Charleston Police Department were dispatched to an address on Bridge Road regarding a girl showing up at a home and describing herself as abused, according to documents obtained by Law&Crime. The initial report mentioned that she also had handcuffs on her wrist.

Cops arrived to indeed find that the child had handcuffs on her wrist, documents stated.

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“According to her, her mom, later identified as Laura Southworth, had put the handcuffs on her wrist because she was stealing from her brothers,” police said. “She was then able to slip the handcuff off of her right wrist but was unable to slip the one off her left wrist.”

A detective then went to Southworth’s home, documents stated.

“As I went inside the residence, I noticed it to be extremely messy with multiple items covering the floor throughout the house,” police wrote.

Laura Southworth was just arraigned on charges of child neglect and unlawful restraint. She was arrested this morning after police say a little girl went to the next door neighbor’s house in handcuffs saying her mom handcuffed her because she stole from her brothers. pic.twitter.com/HI8B8pX0Ju

— Anna Saunders (@ASaunders_WCHS) September 23, 2024

Southworth allegedly admitted to police that she did handcuff the girl Sunday between 8 p.m. and 9 a.m. She described the girl engaging in unruly behavior such as stealing food, putting it in hidden areas, and trying to leave the home without permission, police said.

Officers said that the handcuff was very tight on the child’s wrist, and that eventually, they were able to take it off.

Jail records show that Southworth is locked up on a $10,000 bail.

The post Mother who was arrested after handcuffed daughter escaped to neighbor’s home for help claimed child was ‘stealing’ food: Police first appeared on Law & Crime.