CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., Jan. 10 (UPI) -- A Coral Springs, Fla., woman defended her actions Tuesday after officers searching her home found her 19-year-old grandson chained up in his room, police say.
Shirley Mathis claims that her grandson was chained to his bed because he was mentally ill. "It was for his own good and his own health and his own safety," she told WSVN-TV, Miami.
Mathis, 58, who was released on bail, said that she was trying to keep her grandson from getting out of his bedroom and burglarizing homes in the area.
Police say that the teen was chained to the bed for years and given only a bucket to relieve himself. The floors of the bedroom were lined with plastic and the refrigerator and pantry were locked. Mathis later admitted to trying to prevent her grandson from stealing food.
"He was in a fog, he really was in a fog. He was just confused about everything," Police Lt. Joe McHugh told WSVN-TV. "What's this kid going to suffer mentally, after being locked up in his bedroom every night for three years?"
