A man in Arkansas, US, was arrested last week after authorities found his five-year-old daughter locked in a secret compartment of his wardrobe.
The 40-year-old man was arrested by Tontitown police on November 3rd. The man is charged with false imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a minor and endangering the custody of a child. He may have been wearing a bulletproof suit and drug paraphernalia, local station KNWA reported.
Authorities were initially called to the scene to help social services care for a five-year-old girl. When they arrived, the suspect refused them entry, saying the child was not present.
The latter, who allegedly claimed to have custody of the little girl, eventually agreed to show them the hiding place where he was keeping her captive.
“[Il] “I moved a few boxes and then had to pull a board nailed to the wall to access a small space behind the closet wall,” the incident report said, according to NBC News.
CNN was able to reach the suspect by phone. “For the record: I love my daughter,” he simply told the American broadcaster before turning to his lawyer if he had any questions.
The man will be back in court on December 4th.