"John" DOMINGUEZ - 13 yo - Glenwood (S of Chicago) IL

Dad, girlfriend accused of chaining teen to dryer, beating him

A 13-year-old was routinely
chained to a dryer as his father and his girlfriend slept, after being
beaten by the adults with everything from bamboo scratchers to yard
sticks to a broken ax handle, prosecutors allege.

Hugo Dominguez, 38, of the 400 block of
North Park Drive in Glenwood was charged Thursday with one count of
aggravated domestic battery. His girlfriend, Mary Ramirez, 38, of the
same address, is charged with one count of unlawful restraint, Cook
County State’s Attorney’s office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said.

On Friday, bond for Dominguez was set at
$250,000 bond while Ramirez was ordered held on $100,000 bond, Simonton
said. Both are accused of physically abusing Dominguez’s 13-year-old son.

Court records indicate police were
called to Brookwood Junior High School on Feb. 22 and found the teen
with a large laceration to his left elbow, bruising on a large portion
of both arms, lash marks on his lower and mid back, and marks on his lower legs.

Investigators met with the teen and he
told them the injuries were from both his father and his father’s girlfriend, prosecutors said.

The teen told investigators he was hit
in the hands with a yardstick and ax handle and that his father stabbed
him with a knife. He told investigators Ramirez hit him with belts, a
bamboo scratcher and rulers taped together.

The teen also said he was chained to a
dryer most nights as his father and Ramirez slept. He was routinely
unchained in the morning and put in the garage before school, court records said.

Investigators performed a search of the
home and found the knife, bamboo sticks, yard stick and two broken
wooden ax handles, as well as a white chain in the laundry room, court records said.

Dominguez admitted that he cut the boy
with a knife last week, and that he routinely hits him with the ax
handle and yard stick. He also admitted to chaining the boy to a dryer during the week.

Ramirez also made admitted hitting the teen with a back scratcher and chaining him up on some nights, court records said.

Prosecutors said three other siblings
reside in the home, but did not provide further details. The 13-year-old
remains in protective custody with the Dept. of Children and Family Services.

Dominguez and Ramirez will appear for a preliminary hearing March 23 in Markham, Simonton said.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/crime/4012636-418/dad-girlfriend-accused-of-chaining-teen-to-dryer-beating-him.html