By Ewan Palmer
News Reporter
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Police in Texas are appealing to the pubic for information to help find four "evil" individuals who were involved in torturing a 7-year-old boy during a home invasion.
The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office was called following reports that a family had been "traumatized" during a robbery at their home in Houston at around 3 a.m. on Monday.
Officials said the suspects broke into the home and pistol-whipped the father while demanding he tell them where he kept his money. It is believed the suspects targeted the father, because he owns a small business.
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"What's really appalling and upsetting about this, is when the father told them there was no money, they went for the 7-year-old boy," Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls said during a press conference.
Police said the men filled up the family's bathtub and repeatedly dunked the young boy into the hot water in an attempt to get the father to reveal where his money was hidden.
"We have video from inside that house," Nehls said. "You can hear chilling screams from all the family members from inside that house. You can hear that boy screaming, and you can hear them filling up that bathtub with water…then all of a sudden the screams become muffled as they are holding him under water."
The department said it would not be releasing the footage as part of the investigation.
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Police confirmed that while the water in the bathtub was hot, it did not scald the child. He was taken to the hospital and is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries after getting fluid in his lungs.
"Just horrible to think that we have individuals out there that are trying to make a little bit extra money by doing that to a child," Nehls said. "How dare you."
Justin White, a detective at the sheriff's office, said: "The 7-year-old is having to watch his dad get tortured, and when that didn't work, they tortured the 7-year-old. That's pretty sick, and that is evil to do something like that to a child."
Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers is now offering a $25,000 reward for information that will lead to an arrest. "We will stop at nothing to apprehend these sickos, and we need the public's help," Nehls said.
The suspects eventually made off with jewelry, cash, cellphones and car keys, KTRK reported.
One of the suspects was seen wearing a black vintage Air Jordan hoodie with distinctive white sleeves and "Jordan" spelled out in black letters. Another suspect wore a white Adidas pullover with a white shirt that appears to read "change."
A third suspect was wearing a black hooded top, and black pants with a white stripe down the leg. Police are also searching for a fourth suspect, believed to be the getaway driver.
Authorities later confirmed that both the father and son have since been released from the hospital after receiving treatment for their injuries.
This article was updated to include details on the alleged motive for the crime and information on the condition of the boy and father.
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