Police: Beaten boy drops from window to escape abusive dad
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Apr. 12—A boy who was locked in a bedroom for days at a time jumped from a second-floor window and skirted security cameras to escape his abusive father, police said.
Elvis Justiniano, 31, of 122 Woodside Dr., is facing false imprisonment and child endangerment charges alleging he regularly beat the child in addition to keeping him locked upstairs.
According to the complaint, the boy showed up at Wilkes-Barre police headquarters Saturday morning and reported his father had slapped his face and beat him with a wooden paint mixer.
Police said the boy, whose age was not provided, had red welts on his arms, back and right leg.
The boy told police that his father had begun beating him when he was around 6 years old and that he taken to locking the boy in his bedroom for days at a time, according to the complaint.
When angered, Justiniano would come into the bedroom and beat the child with a belt and other objects, police said.
He also installed security cameras inside and outside of the home to keep an eye on the boy, according to the complaint.
The boy told police he'd been planning an escape for several weeks and he decided to leave after Justiniano beat him Saturday, police said.
The boy opened his bedroom window, hung from the windowsill and then let go, falling to the ground below, police said.
He then moved along the house, keeping out of sight of the cameras so he could make his escape, police said.
Police and Luzerne County Children and Youth Services caseworkers responded to the house Saturday evening and arrested Justiniano.
He is charged with false imprisonment, child endangerment, reckless endangerment, simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment.
Magisterial District Judge Thomas F. Malloy Sr. arraigned Justiniano on the charges Saturday night and set bail at $10,000.
Justiniano was being held at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility with a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 22.
Contact the writer: jhalpin@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2058
