Girlfriend and uncle chained niece to treadmill

Devin Hughes, 39, and Kayla Reynolds, 32, received prison sentences of 25 years on Friday for the sustained abuse of a 7-year-old girl at their mobile home in Boulevard, California. The couple entered guilty pleas in March to more than 10 felony counts, which included torture, child abuse, corporal injury, mayhem, and assault likely to cause great bodily injury. Prosecutors described the treatment of the victim as “abhorrent and heartbreaking” in a statement from the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.

Survival and escape

The victim escaped the home in July 2025 after enduring severe physical trauma. She reportedly found the courage to run to a neighbor and begged for shelter. “The neighbors immediately notified authorities,” the DA’s office noted. When sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found the girl malnourished and suffering from visible injuries, including a black eye, bruises, and burn marks. She told investigators that Hughes had tied her hands behind her back with a zip tie before tripping her.

The investigation revealed a pattern of extreme cruelty. The girl alleged that Hughes and Reynolds cut her hair with a pocketknife and burned her with vape pens. She was allegedly starved and forced to drink dirty toilet water. In a detail that shocked investigators, the girl said she was forced to hold her urine until she wet herself and then clean the mess up using her tongue. She was also chained to a treadmill using a cable lock and forced to sleep on the floor.

Investigators found physical evidence that corroborated the girl’s account, including zip ties, cable locks, and vape pens. Hughes and Reynolds had three other children living in the home at the time of the arrest. The girl was taken to Rady Children’s Hospital, where she gained 5 pounds during her treatment. Prosecutors report that she was later placed with a family member and is now thriving in her new environment.

San Diego County DA Summer Stephan said the level of abuse inflicted on the child was “sickening.” She credited the prosecution team, detectives, and medical staff at the hospital for helping restore the child’s health and safety.

While the legal process has reached its conclusion with prison sentences for the perpetrators, the long-term psychological impact of such extreme deprivation and physical trauma remains a serious concern. The victim’s physical recovery has been documented as successful, but experts in child development caution that the cognitive and emotional development of a child subjected to prolonged starvation and forced humiliation may require specialized, ongoing support that goes beyond basic medical care and housing placement.