Parents Admit They Tied Up Their Kids For Discipline, Documents Say
Brad and Rachel Lambert are being held for investigation of child abuse and unlawful imprisonment. Police say when they found the children in the couple's Bonney Lake garage, the ties were tight enough to leave bruises and abrasions.
"I knew that her spirit was broke," says Dwight Lambert, the children's grandfather. "Why? I don't know, but I was gonna find out."
Lambert took his 9-year-old granddaughter out for a birthday breakfast Monday. He told KOMO 4 News, he knew something was wrong, and he tried to talk to his son, Brad Lambert, about it, with no luck.
"He told me, 'everything was fine, just leave it alone, Dad.' "
But everything wasn't fine. A neighbor, used to hearing screaming and crying from the house, says what she heard coming from the Lambert's garage Thursday was different.
"The screaming was ongoing," says Channa Carsey, "and Mom seemed to be taunting and telling them go ahead, scream all you want, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter."
The neighbor called police. They found the 9-year-old girl lying on the garage floor, bound at the ankle with a plastic snap tie. Her 10-year-old brother was also on the floor, wearing only his underwear. A heavy bag weighted down his legs, his hands were snap-tied behind his back, and he had masking tape thickly wrapped around his head, from just beneath nose down.
"Their parents need help," says Dwight Lambert, "I love my son, love my daughter in law, but they need help."
In court documents, Rachel Lambert allegedly told police that to discipline the kids, they made them write sentences, fed them jalapeno peppers and, in the last week, began using wire ties to restrain them.
Brad Lambert allegedly told police the children have a long history of behavioral problems and he told them that the children were tied to their beds the night before.
In all this ugliness, Dwight Lambert hopes some good will come of this, and he knows his grandkids are better off today.
"Grandpa loves them and I'm here for them, and I always will be here for them, I'll be seeing them soon."
The Lamberts are both being held in lieu of $100,000. Charges are expected Monday.