TX - Adoptive parents locked teen in room for over a decade - El Paso, June 2025

[Clearsky]

Teen describes decade-long nightmare locked by adoptive parents in shocking El Paso case

The teen told officers that since he was five his adoptive parents would lock him in the room at night and would only let him out the next day whenever they...

kfoxtv.com

Richard and Nora Ramirez were arrested and charged with unlawful restraint on Friday after officers with the El Paso Police Department responded to a welfare check on the 12200 block of Tierra Mar Way and learned that--for a decade-- they had kept their adopted son locked in his bedroom for most of the day with no access to food, water or a bathroom.

 

[tlcya]

On Tuesday, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office confirmed that 51-year-old Richard Ramirez was an employee of the agency.

Ramirez submitted his separation paperwork on Monday, officials said
[snip]
According to jail records, both posted a split bond and were released from jail on Saturday.
Former EP Sheriff's Office employee charged with locking adopted son in room for a decade

The boy told officers he was "routinely locked in his bedroom for extended periods and was forced to use the restroom within his room," the news release states. The boy was allegedly let out of his room for dinner and was immediately returned to his room afterward.

"This pattern of treatment had been ongoing since he was approximately 5 years old," the news release states.
El Paso sheriff's employee resigns, arrested for allegedly locking son in room since age 5

Describing his day to day life, the teen told officers he would wake up at around 8 a.m. and wait until he was let out which he usually said would happened at around noon. Then he said he would eat lunch, be homeschooled for three hours then do chores before he was locked again.

With no TV, phone or computer, the teen said he mostly would just sleep in his room waiting for dinner time-- 8 or 9 p.m.-- when he would be let out again just to eat.
Teen describes decade-long nightmare locked by adoptive parents in shocking El Paso case

The boy also described being beaten if he "misbehaved"

 

[Queen of the Winter Night]

An FYI for Texas Homeschool laws:

• Private school: Parents may operate a homeschool as a private school. Parents must provide instruction in good citizenship, math, reading, spelling, and grammar. There are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

Private Schools​

The state’s compulsory attendance law exempts any child who “attends a private or parochial school that includes in its course a study of good citizenship.” See Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 25.086(a)(1).
Notification
None.
Qualifications
None.
Days Or Hours
None.
Subjects
Good citizenship, math, reading, spelling, and grammar.
Bookkeeping
None.
Assessment
None.
Intervention
None.
Other
n/a

Source: Texas