Lieutenant shares details of investigation into the teen locked in a shed in Arcadia

A 14-year old boy who was found locked in a shed is now staying with family members out of state. Arcadia police arrested the boy’s father and father’s girlfriend for allegedly forcing the teen to live in the backyard shed.

The shed looks like any other from the outside, but for one teenager, police say it might as well have been a prison. Police say the teen told them he often slept in the shed with no bathroom and no air conditioning and was locked in the shed from the outside.

Lieutenant Troy Carrillo, with the Arcadia Police Department, said, “first thing I saw was the bed that was in the shed. I noticed a lot of the wrappers from the food that was provided to the victim while he was caged in the shed.”

Lieutenant Carrillo is the investigator on this case. He said when they found the boy, his first thought was, “we need to find the parents and interview them and see what was going on and, you know, potentially make an arrest.”

Police arrested Harry Shoemaker and his girlfriend, Jennifer Hines.

In the police report, the boy claimed it was Hines’ idea to lock him up. Lieutenant Carrillo believes it wasn’t her only one.

“I believe, talking to the resource officer, earlier in the day they, I believe it was the father’s girlfriend who tried to withdraw him from school,” said Lieutenant Carrillo.

The reason behind her wanting to pull the teen from school is still under investigation.

As for the teenager now, police say he is now with family in New York.

WINK News asked Lieutenant Carrillo what the teen said when he learned of his father’s arrest.

Lieutenant Carrillo said, “I believe his exact words were, ‘oh thank God I don’t have to go back to that shed again.'”

Shoemaker and Hines are facing charges of aggravated child abuse.