How You Can Help 13 Siblings Of Perris 'Prison House'

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA – A charity fund was opened Thursday in support of the 13 brothers and sisters allegedly imprisoned and abused in a Perris home, offering well-wishers and others the opportunity to donate money toward their care and recovery.

The Riverside University Health System Foundation is managing the trust, which was started in response to an outpouring of concern from people across the country, according to foundation Director Erin Phillips.

"Our phones started ringing almost immediately with calls from private individuals and organizations wanting to know how they can help," Phillips said. "We recognize financial gifts will not eliminate their trauma, but additional resources will be extremely important in helping these victims adjust over time."

According to Phillips, contributions can be made via the foundation website, www.RUHealth.org/foundation, or mailed to the RUHS Foundation at PO Box 9850, Moreno Valley, CA 92552.

All donations are tax-deductible and can be in the form of checks, credit card payments and gift cards. Questions can be emailed to marketing@ruhealth.org .

Since the abuse case went public Monday, several bogus GoFundMe pages have sprung up, Riverside County sheriff's officials said, warning prospective donors to be wary of solicitations. The RUHS Foundation is the only official charity portal as of now.

Meanwhile, one self-professed "mother bear" from Virginia currently has a GoFundMe campaign underway, entitled "13 Children Found Chained to Beds," with a $30,000 goal which she says will go to the children. The fund organizer maintains she has contacted various Riverside County officials to establish a beneficiary and that the account is not fraudulent.

"I live clear across country from the Turpin children, I have no relation to them, I've never met them, but I am a mom, a mother bear," she wrote on the page. "My name is Michelle, I am the mom of two and my heart is broken tonight for these 13 who are out of my reach. I am in utter disbelief at the horror they have experienced, literally wiping tears as I type this, my heart is racing. I know other moms share the mother bear instinct of wanting to feed, clothe, hug and protect these and all kids in this situation."

The seven young adults and six children were removed from the home in the 100 block of Muir Woods Road Sunday after sheriff's deputies discovered they were starved and living in squalor, having allegedly endured beatings, being shackled to furniture and other forms of extreme punishment.

Their parents, 56-year-old David Allen Turpin and 49-year-old Louise Ann Turpin, have been charged with more than three dozen felonies, including false imprisonment, torture and child abuse.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Perris 'House of Horror' Parents Plead Not Guilty
• Perris Torture Case: 5 Things To Know
• 13 Victims Rescued In Perris Were Tortured For 'Prolonged Period'
• California Parents Accused Of Torturing Their 13 Children
• Torture in Perris: The Signs of Abuse And What To Do

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--City News Service and Susan C. Schena, Patch, contributed to this report/PHOTO CREDIT: Jan. 15 photo of a home where a couple was arrested after police discovered that 13 people had been held captive in filthy conditions with some shackled to beds with chains and padlocks, January 15, 2018 in Perris California. David Allen Turpin and his wife Louise Anna Turpin were charged with torture and child endangerment after a 17 year old escaped the residence and contacted the police. 12 others, ages ranging from 2 to 29, were discovered emaciated and malnourished in the home. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images);