Parents made kids eat chili peppers and handcuffed them to bed, Texas cops say

Parents are accused of making their young children eat hot chili peppers as a form of punishment, then handcuffing them to their beds “all the time,” according to Texas authorities and news reports.

Authorities were called to the father’s San Antonio home Sept. 1 when his 7-year-old daughter complained to her mother about being handcuffed, according to an affidavit obtained by KABB. The 7-year-old detailed abuse by her father and stepmother, whose 6-year-old daughter was also allegedly being abused, according to the court documents.

McClatchy News is not naming the parents to protect the identities of the children.

When officers searched the home, they found handcuffs on one of the children’s beds and attached to another bed, KENS reported, citing the affidavit. The 7-year-old told investigators her dad and stepmom used the handcuffs on her “all the time,” causing pain and redness on her wrists.

The 6-year-old shared similar accounts, telling officers her mom handcuffed her after she was caught eating in a bathroom, according to KSAT. The publication, citing an affidavit, said the mother put the handcuffs on her 6-year-old “really, really tight.”

The children’s punishments, authorities said, extended past handcuffs. The girls were also punished by being forced to eat chili peppers they had to pick from outside, according to KABB.

The 6-year-old said she was given gummies “that made her sleepy,” according to KENS.d

She also accused her stepfather of hitting her with a belt “so hard that she could not walk, which left several bruises,” KSAT reported. Furthermore, she said she was “only allowed to eat once a day.”

Police said the girl’s mother handcuffed her daughter due to “mental health and behavioral issues,” according to KENS. She said she handcuffed the children for the safety of two other children who lived in the home.

The parents — the 30-year-old father and 31-year-old mother — were arrested and charged with unlawful restraint and injury to a child, the publications reported.

This story was originally published September 8, 2025 at 1:09 PM with the headline "Parents made kids eat chili peppers and handcuffed them to bed, Texas cops say."