Police south of Dallas say a woman was chained for nearly two weeks to a bed by a couple who only periodically released her to pick up dog feces and perform other chores around their home.
Fifty-one-year-old Jean-Claude Demars and his wife, 48-year-old Charlotte Kelly Demars, were being held Tuesday at the Ellis County jail on kidnapping charges.
Police were called to the couple's Red Oak Creek Drive home Friday morning.
In a search warrant, officers outline finding the victim in a back bedroom. They say the woman was chained to a bed frame with a leg shackle and metal chain.
The victim told police she'd been restrained since January 14th. She added she was sometimes moved to other rooms to clean, specifically feces left behind by the couple's dogs.
The woman told police she had known Jean-Claude for close to eight years. She said they'd carried on an affair off and on during that time. She added he'd paid for her to live in a hotel in Dallas until recently when she moved to a women's shelter. That's where she says Jean-Claude picked her up on the 14th.
The warrant also states Jean-Claude drugged her before taking her back to the couple's Ovilla home.
Neighbors living across the street from the home said they rarely saw their neighbors.
“They kept to themselves. Everyone on this street… we talk to each other. I’ve never once physically talked to them," said Damien Velasquez.
While many neighbors described the home as a nuisance property due to clutter in the yard and what they described as dozens of loud dogs, they were shocked to learn about the allegations.
“It was a little scary. We have kids and they play. There are kids in the neighborhood, so it was kind of scary knowing that was going on right across the street from us," said Brittany Phillips
On January 26th, the victim said she was given a digital tablet for entertainment that she used to contact a friend who notified police.
Authorities say she was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Olivella Police Chief Brian Windham has said the couple could also face human trafficking charges.
