The parents of one of the mentally disabled people found chained in a Philadelphia basement are seeking custody of the two grandchildren their daughter had while in captivity.
Kensington residents Wilbert and Peggy Wanamaker, the parents of 29-year-old Tamara Breeden, are planning to take legal measures to get temporary custody of their 2-year-old and 7-year-old grandchildren, the couple’s lawyer said in a statement Friday.
“What has happened is unspeakable, and the Wanamaker's grandchildren have already been through too much,” attorney Steven G. Wigrizer. “As their daughter heals and gets the care she needs, they will be asking DHS to give them their grandchildren to care for and support as they begin rebuilding their family.”
Breeden and three mentally challenged men were found locked in a boiler room in the Tacony section of the city last Saturday, and investigators have unraveled a sordid story of abuse and imprisonment of the adult mentally challenged people and at least 10 children.
Police have arrested “ringleader” Linda Ann Weston, her daughter Jean McIntosh, Gregory Thomas, 47, and Eddie Wright, 50, all on charges of kidnapping, conspiracy, unlawful restraint, simple assault, burglary and related charges.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said that two of the young children found in Weston’s custody were children of two of the mentally challenged victims.
All of the children rescued from Weston are in the care of the Department of Human Services.
