Texas Boy Found Tied Up in Grandmother’s Shed, Say Police

Dallas police officers arrested a 53-year-old grandmother and her boyfriend after they allegedly tied up a six-year-old boy in a shed behind their house. His hands were reportedly tied behind his back.

Police in Dallas received a tip that a young boy was being abused. Officers arrived at the home of Esmeralda Lira on Sunday night to conduct a welfare check. The grandmother (Lira) told police the boy was with his mother, CBSDFW reported.

A man living in the rear of the property directed police to a shed. Police had to threaten to break the door down before the grandmother consented to entry, according to reports. Officers looked inside and found the boy. His hands were tied behind his back, officers reported.

Lira reportedly told officers she only put the boy in the shed one time as a punishment. Under questioning, the boyfriend, 64-year-old Jose Balderas, told police the boy had been confined for two weeks in the shed because he was stealing food, the local CBS affiliate reported.

He said the alleged abuse of the six-year-old boy began since he “got out of school for this corona thing,” the report states.

The grandmother and her boyfriend now face felony child endangerment charges. A judge set bond for Lira and Balderas at $100,000 each.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.