Judge Removes Kids From Home Of Man Who Tied Son To Pole
MIAMI BEACH (CBS4) – A judge at the Juvenile Justice Center delivered some harsh words for a Miami Beach man who's accused using a bicycle chain to tie his 12-year-old son to a concrete pole while he went shopping for a few hours.
Judge Mari Sampedro-Iglesia told that father, 49-year-old Adolfo Guzman that "even for a minute" it was "inappropriate to treat children" in such a fashion. "Children should not be treated as animals," she said.
Guzman, who was charged with aggravated child abuse and is out of jail on $50,000 bond, came before the Judge at a custody hearing at the Children's Courthouse and Juvenile Justice Center.
The 12-year-old boy was also there, along with Guzman's 15-year-old daughter and 21-year-old daughter.
The Judge found probable cause to grant temporary shelter for the 15-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy to their 21-year-old sibling. She also ordered that Guzman have no contact with the children.
A judge in Circuit Court had already ordered him to stay away from his 12-year-old son.
The judge acknowledged in court that the 12-year-old blamed himself for the punishment that he received.
On Monday, the boy said, "It's my fault. It's not his fault. I'm the one who got out of the house without permission."
But Judge Sampedro-Iglesia said there was no excuse for the incident.
There was also testimony in court that the children were not afraid of their father and that they felt this was a "one time incident." According to testimony, the father has only been in this country for a year and half and was told that if his son ever got into an accident that he as the father would be arrested.
And so according to testimony, the father overreacted. The father has said he was "remorseful" about the incident.
The 12-year-old boy was not injured.
Guzman told the Judge he would be staying with his brother. He also said the children's mother was living in the Dominican Republic.
He said he is disabled and survives on a disability payment of $1,000 a month to take care of his children.
Gusman faces another hearing in Juvenile Court on June 7th.
His daughters on Monday said that Guzman was a "good father" and did his best to raise them under the conditions he faced.
