NorCal Father Charged With Torturing Children; Mother Charged With Neglect
FAIRFIELD (CBS SF) — A Fairfield father has been charged with nine counts of torture and six counts of abuse after his children described to investigators being intentionally burned and shot with a pellet or BB gun, officials announced Monday.
Fairfield police said 29-year-old Jonathan Allen was taken into custody on Friday and was being held in Solano County Jail. Meanwhile, the children's mother, Ina Rogers, a 30-year-old Fairfield resident, has been booked on child neglect charges.
Allen entered a not guilty plea to the charges at his arraignment Monday. He was ordered to be held on $5.2 million bail.
Prosecutors say the investigation revealed a "long and continuous history of severe physical and emotional abuse. Solano County Chief Deputy District Attorney Sharon Henry said the torture was carried out "for sadistic purposes."
Investigators said Fairfield police officers responded to a report of a missing juvenile in the 2200 block of Fieldstone Ct. on March 31st. They located the missing 12-year-old sleeping under a bush in a neighbor's yard and returned him to the home.
But once inside the home, the officers conducted a search due to concerns for the safety and health of the child and the child's siblings.
"They (the officers) found unsafe and unsanitary living conditions including garbage and spoiled food on the floor, animal and human feces and a large amount of debris making areas of the house unpassable," said Fairfield police Lt. Greg Hurlbut.
During the search of the home, officers located nine more children, ranging in age from 4 months to 11 years old, living in squalor and unsafe conditions.
After several interviews with police, the children began describing horrific conditions they were forced to endure.
"The children described incidents of intentional abuse resulting in puncture wounds, burns, bruising and injuries consistent with being shot with a pellet gun or a BB gun," Hurlbut said.
Rogers defended herself Monday, saying her children are her life. She took reporters inside the home and said it was a mess because she was frantically searching for her missing son.
"I'm easily judged because I'm 31 years old and I have 11 children," said Rogers. "I'm in the medical field. I work every day to save lives. Why would I ever have a house of children that are abused or allow them to be abused?"
Police said the children were all home-schooled by their mother. All were taken into protective custody by Solano County Child Welfare Services.