Ozone Park Couple Accused Of Beating, Starving 12-Year-Old Girl
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Queens couple has been arrested and charged with allegedly starving and beating their daughter for more than a year.
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, along with New York City Administration for Children's Services Commissioner Gladys Carrion, announced the charges Tuesday against Rajesh Ranot, 46, and his wife, Sheetal Ranot, 31, of Ozone Park.
Ozone Park Couple Accused Of Beating, Starving 12-Year-Old Girl
The district attorney's office said the 12-year-old girl, weighing only 58 pounds, repeatedly beaten with a baseball bat, rolling pin and broken metal broom handle, and was locked in her room without food and water for long periods of time between Dec. 1, 2012 and May 6, 2014.
In one instance, the child was rushed to the emergency room and underwent surgery after she was allegedly hit with a broken metal broom, which caused a cut on her wrist that was so deep it went down to the bone.
The district attorney's office said the child was fearful of coming forward about the alleged abuse because she did not want her younger step-siblings to be taken away by authorities and placed in foster care. She eventually found the courage to speak up, the DA's office said.
Rajesh Ranot is charged with second- and third-degree assault, first-degree unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child. He is being held on $25,000 bail and faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
Sheetal Ranot, who is the child's stepmother, was arrested and charged twice. On July 29, she was charged with second-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. On Aug. 1, she was charged with first- and second-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Bail was set at $10,000 and $50,000, respectively. If convicted, Ranot faces up to seven years in prison for the first case and up to 25 years in prison in the second case.
Both are due back in court on Aug. 13.
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