The BALLESTEROS Children - Marana/ Pima Cty/ Tucson AZ

MARANA - Five children are in CPS custody after one of them came forward, claiming child abuse.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department arrested Frederico Ballesteros II on three counts of child abuse, most of which came against his 14 year old son.

The boy originally reported the abuse, in January, at his Marana Middle School. Then deputies made the arrest earlier this month.

Pima County deputies said the abuse had been going on for more than a year until the 14 year old boy went to the staff at his school and told them he was too afraid to go home. They immediately called 911 and deputies took action.

Dawn Barkman with the Pima County Sheriff's Department said, "Children don't want to report this type of abuse. They would rather the behavior just stop rather than be taken away from their parents so this was a pretty strong indication."

Court documents show two different types of abuse. The first was isolation. Documents show the suspect would lock the victim out of the residence and make him sleep outside.

Documents also show the suspect and his wife would not feed the victim in the morning and sometimes in the evening. The victim stated he would receive food from his neighbors, who are his cousins, in order to eat.

Then the other type was physical abuse that included hand cuffs, whips, even the stove.

Barkman said, "Whipping him with a horse whip, burning his hands on the stove. Those type of things as well as just physically abusing him."

Ballesteros remains in jail on $20,000 bond.

http://www.kvoa.com/news/child-abuse-arrest-involves-handcuffs-whips-and-the-stove/