Parents accused of tying up, blindfolding children appear in court
LAWRENCE - A couple whose children were found tied up and blindfolded at a Lawrence Walmart faced a judge on Thursday. 52 year-old Adolfo Gomez and his wife 43 year-old Deborah Martha Gomez stood before a Douglas County judge, both accused of two counts of child abuse and five counts of aggravated endangerment.
The couple was arrested on Wednesday in a Lawrence Walmart parking lot after a store customer called 911, stating they saw a child tied up outside an older model Chevy Silverado. Police confirmed there were two children, a seven year-old girl and a five year-old boy, found with their arms tied behind their backs and blindfolded outside the vehicle. Adolfo Gomez was tased during a fight with police and faces an additional charge of obstruction of justice.
On Thursday, the Assistant District Attorney remained tight-lipped about details of the case, but authorities say the family was traveling from their suburban Chicago home to Arizona with their five children. Their vehicle broke down in the Walmart parking lot, and had been there since Monday. Neighbors say the family recently sold their home in Northlake, Illinois.
The children are safe and in state custody, while the accused remain behind bars on $50,000 bond each. They are not allowed to have contact with the children or one another.