ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A disturbing story surfaced Monday out of a north St. Louis County neighborhood.
Police say a man beat up his sister and elderly parents, tied them up, and left them in the family’s basement for days on end without food or water.
Officials uncovered the disturbing situation on July 30 at a home on Coburg Lands Drive, responding to the home on a welfare check. What they discovered inside shocked them.
Court documents say 35-year-old Anthony Holloway was arrested after he allegedly beat his sister and elderly parents, dragged them to a room in the family’s basement, zip-tied their hands together and left them in the dark without food or water for four days.
According to the report, the ordeal occurred from Friday, July 26 through Tuesday, July 30.
The victims reported Holloway periodically threw water and other liquids on them and hit them with a whip. He’s also accused of burning his mother’s hands and forcing his sister to crawl up the stairs and pick up excrement-covered papers with her mouth.
Neighbors were unaware of what had happened until FOX 2 arrived Monday. Kenneth Moore lives next door.
“We didn’t know what was going on,” Moore explained. “I am really in a state of shock.”
Moore thinks Holloway may have suffered from a mental health crisis.
“I knew he was off a little bit; you know what I mean? I’m not one to judge nobody—but it was just kind of weird to me, man, what he would do,” Moore said.
FOX 2 spoke with five other neighbors off-camera. One described the scene outside of the home late Tuesday morning as chaotic, as first-responders took the emaciated victims out on stretchers.
Moore said it serves as a reminder that you never know what’s going on behind closed doors.
“You never know what people are going through nowadays. Everybody’s got these mental issues going on,” Moore said. “I would have never thought that, though.”
Bellefontaine Neighbors Police confirmed all four family members are recovering in the hospital.
Holloway is charged with three counts of assault, three counts of kidnapping and two counts of elderly abuse. He will be held on a $300,000 bond.
