Chaos unfolded in Ceres yesterday afternoon when the Ceres Police Department was alerted to a disturbing scene on Hatch Road and Richland Avenue. According to a post by the Ceres Police Department, officers responded to calls at 1:39 PM of a naked male running in the area. When they arrived at the Cost Less grocery store, they discovered more than just an unusual public disturbance. They found a 15-year-old autistic juvenile bound at the wrists showing signs of possible ankle restraints and multiple injuries necessitating immediate medical attention.
The teenager was quickly whisked away to a local hospital, but the story deepened when the boy's mother, 36-year-old Leandra Renteria of Ceres, appeared on the scene frantically searching for her son. Her appearance led officers to conduct a welfare check at her residence in the 1600 block of Richland Avenue. There, police found yet another autistic child, a 12-year-old girl, unharmed but within the confines of a poorly maintained home. Despite the fortunate condition of the younger sibling, the abode's state laid bare the troubling circumstances the children had to endure.
The Ceres Police quickly investigated and arrested Leandra Renteria, Gary Wilson, 58, and Lenore Wilson, 54, all from Ceres, on charges of child abuse and neglect. They were later booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center. Child Protective Services removed the children from the home to protect them from further neglect or abuse.
