Left inset: Rita Barr. Right inset: Staffon Barr. Background: The Arizona school where Rita Barr and Staffon Barr's 9-year-old son allegedly told a nurse that they handcuffed him to a table and beat him with a tree branch (AZ Family/YouTube).
An Arizona mom and stepdad are facing charges for handcuffing their 9-year-old son to a dining room table and beating him with a tree branch because they "wanted to show him what happens to bad kids," police say.
The parents, Rita Barr and Staffon Barr, told investigators in Tolleson that they were disciplining the child for an "incident that happened on the school bus" after he returned home on May 5, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime. Police spoke to the couple, the child, and a sibling about the alleged abuse.
"The victim disclosed that his stepfather works at a juvenile detention center and wanted to show him what happens to 'bad kids,'" the affidavit says. "The victim disclosed that the defendant handcuffed him behind his back, but he (the victim) was able to maneuver them to the front. He then disclosed the defendant handcuffing him to the table."
The boy and his sister both told police that the Barrs beat him with a "tree branch" — something they have been known to do regularly when he misbehaves — that was later recovered from their master bathroom, the affidavit alleges.
"The sister advised that in the past, she intervened when her mother used a stick from their backyard to strike her brother on his hands," the affidavit says. "She advised the stick is kept inside of the house."
The most recent beating was reported by the boy after he asked to go to the nurse's office while at school "because his arm and chest were hurting," per the affidavit.
"[The victim] disclosed to the school nurse that sometime yesterday … his stepfather handcuffed him to a dining room table and covered his mouth while his mother hit him with a tree branch multiple times," the affidavit alleges.
The school nurse identified and observed "visible injuries" on the child's chest and right arm, which police say "appeared linear and consistent with the range of motion of being struck" with the "tree branch/stick" that was recovered from the family's home, according to the affidavit.
The Tolleson Police Department's Criminal Investigations Bureau and the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) were notified by the school nurse and an investigation was launched, which led to the interviews with the family.
The Barrs each gave "conflicting statements" about what happened, according to the affidavit, with Rita Barr allegedly claiming they used a "foot-long ruler" with a "sharp metal edge" to strike her son, while Staffon Barr alleged that it was a "leaf from a fake plant inside the residence."
Rita Barr said they started beating the boy after showing him YouTube videos "on what happens to children when they commit crimes and get arrested," according to the affidavit. Court records show that Staffon Barr works at the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections.
"Tolleson Police located the defendant's duty belt in the back seat of the Nissan Altima wrapped in a white blanket," the affidavit says. "On the duty belt was a single handcuff pouch containing a single pair of stainless-steel handcuffs with the name 'Barr' printed on one of the cuffs."
The victim told investigators that while he was handcuffed and beaten, he began "screaming and crying," which prompted Staffon Barr to cover his mouth with his hand "so the neighbors would not hear what was happening," according to the affidavit.
"The victim said the defendant's hand was originally over his mouth and nose, impeding his breathing," the affidavit alleges. "The victim said that the defendant then moved his hand down to only cover his mouth while his mother struck him with a brown belt on his chest and his arm."
The Barrs are both facing felony child abuse and aggravated assault charges. They were being held on bond last week and are due in court on May 13.
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