Sunday morning a 17-year-old girl escaped from her home in Perris and called the police, telling them that 12 of her siblings were being held captive by their parents.
During their investigation, officers found a range of children aged between 2-29 extremely malnourished, with three chained to furniture.
57-year-old David Allen Turpin and 49-year-old Louise Anna Turpin are charged with torture and child endangerment with bail set at $18 million.
Neighbors were horrified to learn of the situation, some saying they never saw the children and that they were unaware of how many lived in the home.
Tuesday morning, authorities said they are unsure how long the children were held captive, but that the level of malnutrition is an indication that the children were held for a prolonged period.
