EL PASO, TX – Authorities have charged an El Paso couple with unlawful restraint after their 15-year-old adopted son told police he spent nearly a decade confined to his bedroom, allowed out each day only briefly for dinner.
Officers responded on June 11 to a welfare check call on Tierra Mar Way following a report that a child was being neglected and kept locked in a bedroom. When police arrived, the teenager described being locked inside the room for long periods, reportedly since around the age of five. According to police, the child said he was permitted to leave only to eat dinner and was required to return immediately afterward.
Police said the boy reported having to use the restroom in his own bedroom during these long stretches of confinement. It remains unclear whether his room included a working bathroom. The El Paso Police Department referred the case to its Crimes Against Children Unit, citing the severity of the allegations.
Richard Ramirez, 51, and his wife Nora Ramirez, 52, were taken into custody and charged with one count each of unlawful restraint of a child younger than 17. Both were processed at the El Paso County Detention Facility and were released on $100,000 bond the following day, according to jail records.
The case drew additional attention because Richard Ramirez was an employee of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Officials confirmed this week that Ramirez was placed on immediate administrative leave when the allegations surfaced, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. He submitted his resignation on Monday.
Authorities have not disclosed what role Ramirez held at the sheriff’s office. The department has not commented further on his employment during the investigation.
The boy’s daily life, as described to investigators, entailed strict isolation from the rest of the household except for dinner. The police have not provided further details about the conditions the boy endured or the case’s timeline but confirmed that their investigation is ongoing.
Child welfare cases such as this remain rare but deeply concerning, with social services and law enforcement emphasizing vigilance in reporting and investigating claims of neglect or abuse. Investigators have not yet indicated if there were any prior reports concerning the family.
Richard and Nora Ramirez are expected to face legal proceedings in El Paso County. There have been no announcements regarding additional charges or status updates about the child’s current condition or placement.