May 22, 2013 2 min read

A North Strabane Township man was arrested Monday night by township police for allegedly chaining an 11-year-old boy to a kitchen table.

Joshua Lee Smith, 38, of 100 Garden St., North Strabane, was charged with false imprisonment, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault and harassment.

Police were called about 7:30 p.m. to Smith’s home for a domestic dispute. While en route, police were told by the 911 dispatcher that they had received three calls about the incident.

When police arrived, they were directed to the kitchen by Lori Seman. Smith was kneeling next to the boy. Officer Michael Miller could see the boy was sitting at the dinner table with a plate of food in front of him.

When Miller sat down next to the boy to find out what happened, he could see a chain attached to the 11-year-old’s right leg. The other end of the chain was nailed to the stairs leading to the basement.

The boy told police that he did not want to eat the food on his plate and Smith became angry. He said Smith made him go outside and get one of the dog chains that had been in the yard. Smith then allegedly nailed one end of the chain to the stairs and attached the other end to the boy’s leg.

The boy said he became sick and vomited some of the food. Smith reportedly told the boy he was not moving until he ate everything on his plate.

Miller had to use wire cutters to free the boy’s leg from the chain and he had abrasions on his leg. Seman substantiated the boy’s story, police said.

Smith was arraigned before District Judge Jay Weller and placed in the Washington County jail on $10,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is set for Tuesday before Weller.