A gaunt 18-year-old Georgia man told California police his stepfather had banished him and sent him on a cross-country bus ride after the stepfather had confined him to a room for four years, authorities said.
The confinement allegedly was so thorough, Mitch Comer's two younger sisters – living in the same home – hadn't seen the teen for the last two years, and he says he hadn't been outdoors in at least that amount of time, Paulding County (Georgia) Sheriff's Cpl. Ashley Henson said.
The teen's stepfather and mother were arrested in Dallas, Georgia, last week after a retired Los Angeles police officer found the teen wandering an L.A. bus station, weighing under 100 pounds at just over 5 feet tall, and looking like he was 12 or 13, the L.A. Police Department said.
Paul M. Comer, 48, and the teen's mother, Sheila M. Comer, 39, both of Dallas, Georgia, were charged last week with cruelty to children relating to alleged abuse during Mitch Comer's minor years, Henson said. Both are being held without opportunity for bail, pending an October 4 hearing.
"The information we have is … the neighbors didn't even know there was a boy living in the home," Paulding County District Attorney Dick Donovan told "CNN Newsroom" on Friday.
The investigation started on September 11 when retired LAPD Sgt. Joe Gonzales, working security at an L.A. Greyhound bus station, called police after mistaking Mitch Comer for a child wandering the station alone, police said.
The teen told officers that Paul Comer had kicked him out of his Georgia home because he had just turned 18. Comer drove him to a Jackson, Mississippi, bus station, gave him $200 and information on Los Angeles homeless shelters that he gleaned from the Internet, put him on a bus and told him never to return, authorities said.
The teen also told investigators he was abused at home for the last four years, saying that after Comer removed him from school in the eighth grade, he was confined to a room and given small amounts of food daily.
He also said he was forced to "assume a grueling disciplinary position every day for eight hours, with the top of his head against a wall, his fingers interlaced behind his head and his feet raised off the ground," the L.A. Police Department said.
"He saw the mom and the (stepfather), but he hadn't seen the sisters for two years," Henson said.
Mitch Comer told investigators he lived mostly in Georgia, though the family moved to Arizona and perhaps other places before returning.
After Los Angeles police contacted Paulding County authorities, Paul and Sheila Comer were arrested, and the teen's sisters – ages 13 and 11 – were put into protective custody, Henson said.
One of Donovan's investigators flew to Los Angeles and escorted the teen back to Georgia, where a family volunteered to take him in "until we can get things moving or … find a better placement," Donovan said.
"According to my investigator whom I sent to L.A. to pick him up and take him home, he is a very sweet, very polite young man who loves to read, and who said that his greatest desire is to just live a normal life," Donovan told "CNN Newsroom."
Henson said the charges against Paul and Sheila Comer relate only to the 18-year-old. Investigators have yet to speak to the girls in-depth, Henson said.
Sheila Comer's attorney, Renee Rockwell of Atlanta, said Friday that her client will plead not guilty. She said that she couldn't say a lot about the case yet.
"The investigation is just starting. I'm sure there's a lot that is going to come out sooner or later, just a lot of facts that have yet to be disclosed to the public," Rockwell said Friday.
Paul and Sheila Comer have not had any contact with each other since the arrests, Rockwell said.
A call to the office of Paul Comer's attorney, W. Scott Smith of Atlanta, wasn't immediately returned Friday.
The FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are among the agencies investigating the case, Henson said.
Henson said his department wants to give "all the credit to retired Sgt. Gonzales" and the Los Angeles Police Department for flagging the case.
"Without (Gonzales') watchful eye and his experience, (Mitch Comer) might never have been found, and he might not have survived," Henson said.
– CNN's Brooke Baldwin contributed to this report.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Why do Republicans do things like this??
Obama 2012!!
Its hurts me to see how some people treat their own children. I hope for the boy sake that he turns out alright, and that the punishment he went through does not affect the rest of his life.
It will be another 4 years before President Obama can possibly pardon George W. Bush and the Dick Cheney for crimes they committed if he wins.
***VOTE VOTE OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA***VOTE
To win this war vs. those whom stalk and raype our children, we must attack them at their base of operations: Arrest and prosecute those who enable them.
These men could not possibly get away with it for so many years without enabling wives, ministers, preachers, priests, corporate leaders, boy Scout leaders, Penn State leaders, etc.
ATTACK *Them* for a change.
Waterboard the "Dot Sanduskys" of America today!!!
My analysis:
"To win this war vs. those whom stalk and raype our children, we must attack them at their base of operations: Arrest and prosecute those who enable them."
My analysis; You seem to be eluding to Matthew 3:10 " Already the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree, then, that does not produce fine fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire."
"These men could not possibly get away with it for so many years without enabling wives, ministers, preachers, priests, corporate leaders, boy Scout leaders, Penn State leaders, etc."
My analysis; I think Leviticus 5:1 fits nicely here, wouldn't you say? "Now in case a soul sins in that he has heard public cursing, and he is a witness, or he has seen it, or has come to know of it, if he does not report it, than he must answer for his error.
Final word – If by Gods law all will face the consequences for their sins or "errors", then why would the Justice system of man hand down a lesser sentence for "crimes"
No wonder crime rages on ...
Who do religious leaders call when they find out they have a child rayper in their church? They call THEMSELVES together!
Rather than calling the police and reporting these heinous crimes, they sit around and discuss what to do about the perps SINS! Lmao! Really. THAT'S what they do.
ATTACK those whom enable child molesters. ty
Religious leaders have their job to do of course... dispensing punishment for sins committed.
But doesn't the Bible also state we must follow the laws of the land? If yes, then these religious leaders are in violation of the doctrines they hold to.
Now it's your turn folks..
It's now his turn to be confined to a small room, where inmates will take him for long rides everyday.
You are correct...He (the stepfather) has earned his new accommodations, he's lucky he isn't in the country known as Georgia where brutal abuse by prison guards where exposed in today's CNN web-page.
When are we going to realize the current judicial system is not working. To many criminals, being locked up is not that big of a punishment. Being able to watch t.v. all day and have a gym and library does not seem all that bad. Not to mention have 3 meals per day. We need to get tougher, bring back the chain gangs, have them break rocks all day. Make prision a horrible experience nobody will dare chance to be sent to. I realize that to me and you it would be a terrible experience to get sent to prision, however to a criminal I do not think they think so. Many can continue their life of crime behind bars and learn to be better criminals. They need to suffer everyday they are behind bars so they will never want to commit a crime again and risk being sent back. Hell most US Soldiers have it rougher than a prisioner.
to JD:
Of course. The problem is that our prisons aren't horrible enough. Also, black is white, up is down, and you're a genius.
animals!.....
Wrong, animals would never do anything like that, only humans.
@ little j johnny. Nope. Humans. Humans immitating animals though. So you were close.
Joel Steinberg and Hedda Nussbaum, all over again. At least this time, the boy lived.
Put these 2 away for a long, long time – sadists should not be enjoying freedom.
The peaceful loving society displays its compassion again. The world is full of your love and peace. Please enough peace and love.
We need more people like Sgt. Gonzales!
Take these children, including this poor young man, and place them with a family that will love them.
And take the parents and put them in prison.
.
Whats amazing that nobody else did anything about this. Where are the other family members? Did they not know there was another child in the household? Why could or didn't the sisters report anything? They could have informed school officials... There are just to many red flags in the story that i cannot believe nobody suspected anything until the kid was 18 & on the street..... The mother & step-father should be put to death so there can never be another offspring subjected to this pain. This child needs million dollar book / movie deals so he will never have to worry about his life again.