Kettleman City man arrested for false imprisonment, child abuse

A Kettleman City man has been arrested on charges of false imprisonment and child abuse.

The investigation began on Tuesday when family members tipped off Kings County deputies of a possible case of child abuse. Deputies found out that 26-year-old Juan Manuel Gutierrez was living with a woman who had three children, one of which was a 7-year-old boy.

For the past year the boy was forced to stay in his room and only come out of his room to eat and attend school during the week. He was often locked in his bedroom with a bucket to use as a toilet and never allowed out of the house to play.

When the boy’s mother stood up for her son, she was threatened, battered, and abused. The suspect admitted keeping the boy in the room as discipline for fighting with his sister.

Gutierrez was booked into the Kings County jail. 

Bail has been set at $ 600,000. He faces one count of false imprisonment (ongoing and occurring for the last four months,at least), child endangerment, spousal abuse (four counts), assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, spousal rape and intimidate or dissuade a witness, etc.