Couple Accused Of Handcuffing, Locking Boy In Closet For Hours

TAMPA, FL — Detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office have arrested two people after they admitted to handcuffing and locking a young boy in a closet for hours at a time during the past month.

On Sunday at 5:53 a.m., deputies were called to a Tampa home for a report of a missing child. Once at the home, deputies located the boy who had been hiding in the house. Deputies left when they found the boy but returned a short time later to conduct a child abuse investigation.

The boy told deputies he has been handcuffed and forced to stand in a closet as a punishment. The boy said this "punishment" has been happening every day for about 16 hours a day for the past few weeks.

While talking with detectives, John Hernandez, 41, admitted to handcuffing the boy and putting him in the closet as a punishment from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. for behavioral issues.

Natasha Dabbs, 37, told detectives she knew the punishment was taking place and did not try to prevent it. Dabbs said this has been happening since Dec. 25.

Hernandez and Dabbs were arrested and booked into the Orient Road Jail. Hernandez was charged with aggravated child abuse (malicious punishment). Dabbs was charged with child neglect and failure to report child abuse.

"The actions of this couple are reprehensible," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "I am so proud of our deputies for noticing something was not right while they were at the initial call and following through. Their actions may have saved this young boy's life."

The name and age of the boy and his relationship to the couple can not be released due to Marsy's Law.