A mother from Pennsylvania has been arrested after authorities discovered that she had been handcuffing her 11-year-old son to an oil tank in the basement while she was at work. The disturbing case came to light after police responded to a report on January 11, 2025, that a child had been chained to a bed in a local home. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the young boy handcuffed to a top bunk bed. He later explained to police that his mother, Chazzity Candelario, had regularly chained him to a post in the basement or locked him in a small utility room.
Candelario, 33, reportedly admitted to these actions during questioning. She explained that on some occasions, she would chain her son for up to two hours while she was away at work. The child also revealed that on one occasion, he had managed to free himself from the basement post but accidentally handcuffed himself to the bedframe. In a criminal complaint, the boy’s account painted a disturbing picture of regular abuse. Police confirmed that Candelario admitted to the accusations, including locking her son in a utility room when she couldn’t control him.
In addition to chaining and locking her son in the basement, Candelario reportedly kept a close watch on what he ate and what he did at home. Fox43 reported that Candelario even woke her son in the early hours of January 11 to punish him for eating too many hot dogs, before chaining him up again. She then left for work and did not return until later, long after police had arrived at the scene.
Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf expressed outrage over the case, noting that what had occurred was not a form of discipline but rather abuse. “Leaving a child chained from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. is absolutely horrifying,” Graf said. The district attorney also emphasized the emotional trauma caused by a parent who is supposed to care for and protect their child but instead subjects them to such cruelty.
Candelario was charged with several offenses, including unlawful restraint of a minor, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child. She was later granted bail of $100,000 and is scheduled to appear in court on January 23. This case highlights the importance of distinguishing between proper discipline and abusive behavior, with authorities expressing their shock over the severity of the abuse involved. The situation remains under investigation as the community grapples with the details of th
e case.