GALVESTON, Texas – The father of the 9-year-old boy who said he was forced to live in a wooden box sat in jail Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
David Wieseckel, 43, has been charged with unlawful restraint of a child and two counts of injury to a child. Linda Schwan, 49, was charged with one count of unlawful restraint of a child and injury to a child.
"It was publicly released that the indictments had been handed down by the grand jury," said Adam Poole, the chief of the child abuse division for the Galveston County District Attorney's office.
Poole would not say that the two were on the run. He said the indictments were handed down nearly a month ago.
"The U.S. Marshals did get involved in executing those warrants and they ultimately tracked them to Las Vegas." said Poole.
Poole said they were arrested Tuesday night and are expected to return to Texas.
The case started in July of 2012 when the 9-year-old boy was reported missing. He said he ran away because he didn't want to be locked in his room.
Court documents showed Wieseckel was forcing the boy to live in a six-by-eight foot particle board box, with a blanket and book inside.
"There was a room that was built for him so that he wouldn't damage windows and walls and wood," said Wieseckel in Aug. 2012. "It was his bedroom. He had everything in there. He had everything, blankets and bed and he damaged it all."
A conviction on the unlawful restraint of a child charge could mean up to two years in prison and registering as a sex offender. Injury to a child is a third degree felony and could mean up to ten years in prison.
The boy is now in foster care.