TUCSON, Arizona (AP) -- A man and his girlfriend were arrested for allegedly locking his 14-year-old daughter in a bedroom for more than a year, police said Wednesday. The couple allegedly allowed the girl out of the room only for bathroom breaks and meager meals starting in November 2003, said Sgt. Kerry Fuller, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman.
Detectives also found that the father sexually abused the girl for several years, Fuller said. The Associated Press is not naming the adults to protect the teen's identity. The girl escaped Thursday from the home and called authorities, Fuller said.
Investigators determined that the girl -- described as 5 feet 6, weighing only 97 pounds and "significantly malnourished" -- was kept in a bedroom with its single window covered by a blanket, its door fastened by an outside lock. Two daughters of the woman -- ages 8 and 10 -- also lived in the house but there were no indications they were abused, police said.
The couple was booked Tuesday into the Pima County Jail. The man, 35, was charged with child abuse, two counts of child molestation and six counts of sexual contact with a minor. The woman, 32, was charged with one count of child abuse. Fuller said the girl may not have attended school since fourth grade. All three girls were placed in the custody of Child Protective Services.