A Maryland couple is facing abuse and imprisonment charges, this after police say they found the couple’s adult sons, who have autism, locked in the basement of their Rockville home.
Officers arrested John and Janice Land last Thursday after they showed up at their house to serve them a search warrant on an unrelated matter.
Once inside, police say they found a basement door locked from the outside with a deadbolt.
When they opened it, they discovered two 22-year-old autistic twins, living in deplorable conditions.
According to police, there was a strong urine smell, no light source, and the space contained only a small comforter lying on the tiled floor.
John Land told authorities that he locked the men up between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for the past six months in order to prevent them from leaving the house unsupervised, as he claims happened in the past.
A neighbor, whose son is friends with the couple’s other children, says she alerted police to the conditions in the home more than three years ago, but nothing was ever done.
The men are currently in protective custody.