Mother of three accused of locking kids in moldy basement, starving them, and shaving their heads

A Wisconsin mother was arrested for allegedly carrying out unthinkable physical and psychological abuse on her three young kids.

Regina Sanchez, 30, of Racine, is accused of essentially torturing her three children, ages 7, 8, and 14. According to a criminal complaint obtained by The Journal Times, a school social worker and teacher zeroed in on the mom in December, after the children would come to school with bruises, having been deprived of food or other necessities, and with their head shaved on multiple occasions due to having lice.

A social worker reached out to the mother on Tuesday after her children didn’t come to school. She responded that she didn’t care if she went to jail and that she “was tired of her children being brainwashed at school and that she was going to smack them,” the Mount Pleasant Patch reported.

Police, who arrived at Sanchez’s home later that morning, took note of the 8-year-old’s bedroom: her mattress had no blankets, sheets or pillows, a cockroach ran across the floor, there was a spoiled baby diaper that was leaking on the ground, and her room lacked toys or personal items. Sanchez supposedly told officers that she took her daughter’s belongings and threatened to kick her out to “scare” her into behaving.

The complaint detailed that all three children often didn’t have socks, coats, or underwear in the winter. During that time, the kids also experienced extremely dry skin from having their heads shaved.

Sanchez allegedly punished the 8-year-old on multiple instances by making her stay in a moldy basement with the lights off and the door locked. The 30-year-old is also accused of telling the child that “someone had died down there.”

The girl also claimed that Sanchez would strike her with a belt, or she would have her siblings hit her. The child also alleged that her mother would routinely fail to feed her. Authorities say the other siblings corroborated the 8-year-old’s story.

The young girl allegedly told officers that she was afraid of going home because she didn’t want her mom to throw her out.

“I’m too little to be kicked out of the house.”

Sanchez is charged with felony mental harm to a child and three misdemeanor counts of child neglect. She is being held in the Racine County Jail on a $50,000 cash bond as of Friday evening.

The mom of three is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on May 10.

 

[Featured Image: Racine County Jail]