Police responding to a domestic violence call at a family home made a shocking discovery when they found a four-year-old autistic boy locked in a bedroom, attempting to finger paint on the walls with his own faeces. The harrowing incident occurred in Upshur County, where officers were originally called by the couple's 18-year-old daughter regarding an alleged physical altercation between her parents.
Disturbing Discovery During Domestic Call
When deputies from the Upshur County Sheriff's Office arrived at the residence, they questioned the teenage daughter about other children in the household. She then led them to a bedroom that was secured with two locked gates instead of a conventional door. Inside, they discovered her younger brother, described as having nonverbal autism, in a distressing state.
Child Found in Deplorable Conditions
The young boy was found completely naked with mysterious blue stains on both his feet and mouth. Some food was scattered across the bed, and investigators observed that the child had been "attempting to finger paint on the wall with his own faeces." The daughter informed authorities that her parents, Joshua Vincent Moore, 40, and Kayla Renee Spruill, 37, regularly confined the boy to this room for what they claimed were "safety reasons."
Parents Face Serious Charges
Moore and Spruill have been formally charged with child neglect creating risk of injury in relation to their autistic son. According to the criminal complaint obtained by WDTV, the daughter revealed that physical altercations between her parents were common occurrences within the household. She also stated that she was frequently asked to skip school to care for her brother because Moore had work commitments and Spruill was often absent from the home.
Substance Use and Neglect Patterns
During the investigation, deputies detected alcohol on Spruill's breath and administered a breath test, which showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.1, exceeding the legal limit of 0.08. Spruill admitted that after work the previous day, she had visited a friend's house where they shared a bottle of wine before returning home the following morning.
Moore confessed to waking around 3:30 am, smoking marijuana, and then leaving for work, returning home approximately at 1:30 pm. Their daughter further disclosed to authorities that it was routine for her parents to smoke marijuana, play video games, and leave her brother locked alone in the room for extended periods.
Legal Proceedings and Custody
Both Moore and Spruill were taken into custody and are currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail. Each parent is being detained on a $25,000 cash bond. They are scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on March 13, where the court will determine the next steps in this troubling case of alleged child neglect and endangerment.
The investigation continues as authorities examine the full extent of the neglect and the conditions that led to this disturbing discovery during what began as a routine domestic violence response call.
