Police in Memphis, Tenn., are investigating a bizarre incident after a child called to report that an 8-year-old sibling was chained up to a backyard shed. When police arrived, they found the boy unharmed but, indeed, chained up.
WMC-TV reports that police also found six children ranging in age from 2 to 14 in the home during the visit last week. All the children have been removed from the home while authorities investigate.
"Just to make me think about it, it's awful," neighbor Elaine Evans told the news station. "You know, we speak like you speak to your neighbors. Don't try to get in their business, but they seem pretty nice people. But you never know."
Other neighbors told the news station that this wasn't the first time the boy had been locked to the shed. When one neighborhood boy asked the 8-year-old to come play basketball, he reportedly responded, "I can't, I'm chained up." The neighborhood boy then asked, "Why you chained up?" to which the 8-year-old reportedly replied, "Ask my mama."
Investigators from the Department of Children's Services joined officers on the scene and were working to determine the relationship between the adults inside the house and the children, WMC-TV reports.
Read more at WMC-TV.