Parents in Perris torture case face additional charges of child abuse, felony assault

LOS ANGELES -- (KTLA) -- David Allen Turpin and Louise Anna Turpin, the California couple accused of holding their 13 children captive, are facing additional charges, a prosecution spokesman said Friday.

Riverside County District Attorney spokesman John Hall told reporters after a brief court hearing that each Turpin is facing three additional counts of child abuse. An additional felony assault charge has been lodged against Louise Turpin.

“Further investigation led us to this,” Hall said.

Both defendants appeared before the judge in suits, the husband in gray, the wife in navy blue. David Turpin's hair appeared to be trimmed and neater around the collar.

The next court date in the case is March 23, to go over the status of proceedings. May 14 has been set aside tentatively for the preliminary hearing, but defense lawyers have indicated they'll be asking for more time to prepare.

David Macher, attorney for David Turpin, declined to comment before Friday's hearing.

Louise Turpin's lawyer, Jeff Moore, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Turpins allegedly shackled some of their children to beds in a nondescript Riverside County home that doubled as the private Sandcastle Day School.

But the home school with the inviting name concealed a life of horror and abuse, where the children were beaten and starved, chained to their beds for weeks at a time and allowed to shower once a year, according to Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin.

The parents, who lived in Perris, have pleaded not guilty to 37 charges, including torture, false imprisonment, abuse of a dependent adult and child abuse. David Turpin also pleaded not guilty to one count of lewd conduct with a minor.

The Turpins are accused of beating and choking some of their children, who are between 2 and 29 years old. Prosecutors have not alleged the 2-year-old was tortured. The couple allegedly deprived the children of water and fed them small portions of food on a strict schedule.

The 29-year-old weighed just 82 pounds and the other children are so thin they look younger than their ages, authorities said.