Mom, boyfriend charged after 2 children found chained up in Fairfax County home

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - Authorities are investigating a horrific case of child neglect after police officers allegedly found two young brothers chained at the ankles and restrained inside a home in Fairfax County.

Police were first called to the home on the 6700 block of Tower Drive in Groveton on the evening of Aug.15 for a report about possible child neglect.

According to a criminal complaint, when officers arrived at the home and knocked on the door, they heard a chain rattling inside. When the door was opened, they saw a chain wrapped around a post next to a sleeping cot and the victims — 7 and 9-year-old boys — chained up. 

The two children were living with their mother, 47-year-old Wedni Del Cid Rodriguez, and her apparent partner, 29-year-old Franklin Viera Guevara. 

The court documents explain how one of the boys apparently used a roommate's phone to take a photo of his chained ankle and sent the photo to their sister who then called 911.

When police spoke to Rodriguez and Guevara, they allegedly told investigators that they would chain the children up by the ankle for short periods of time to "scare them" so they wouldn't leave the apartment.

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The roommate allegedly told police the children were left unsupervised and restrained while they were gone.

Police at the scene reported that the children had visible marks on their ankles that were consistent with the shape and size of the chains.

Rodriguez was charged with two counts of child neglect, two counts of child cruelty, and two counts of abduction. She was taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and has since been released on bond. 

Guevara was charged with two counts of child neglect, two counts of child cruelty, and two counts of abduction. He is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on no bond.

A next door neighbor who didn't want to go on camera told FOX 5 that he was surprised to hear of these allegations. 

He says the boys were unruly and that their mother seemed overwhelmed — but that, of course, does not excuse them being chained inside their home. He says the mom worked and that he rarely saw Guevara. 

 Guevara has a bond hearing on Wednesday and a competency hearing next month. 

It’s not clear where the boys are staying at this time.