CHILD NEGLECT: Kids Allegedly Locked Up

An Ankeny couple is accused of locking their teenage children in the basement for weeks and feeding them under a locked door.

Ankeny police arrested 45-year-old Paul Drake and his wife, 44-year-old Joann Drake after one of the Drake’s adopted children reported being locked in the basement, along with a sibling, for three to four weeks as punishment. 

The child told a school employee that they were only allowed out of the locked room to go to school.

DHS has removed the 13-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy from the home.

Prosecutors have charged Paul Drake with one count of neglect or abandonment of a dependent person and Joann Drake with two counts of false imprisonment and two counts neglect or abandonment of a dependent person.

The couple was released from the Polk County jail Wednesday.