Who is Zaikiya Duncan? Everything to know about Houston mom as her teen twins escape ‘House of Horrors'

Zaikiya Duncan, a mother of eight, is at the center of a child abuse investigation after her teenage twins escaped their Texas home on Tuesday, October 18, and went from home to home pleading for help until a good Samaritan took them in and called the authorities.

The 15-year-old twins told the police that they had been handcuffed, beaten, starved, and imprisoned by their mom and her boyfriend, Jova Tyrell, 27, in their house in Cypress, Texas, located just outside Houston.

After the authorities learned of their ordeal, they issued an amber alert for Zaikiua and Jova Tyrell, who fled with five kids aged between 7-14.

Duncan and Tyrell were arrested in Louisiana shortly after police began their statewide search. The children were all taken into protective custody. Tyrell faces a charge of continuous violence against the family in Harris County, Texas.

According to the New York Post, Zaikiya, 40, is facing charges of aggravated assault and assault on a family member with a previous conviction.

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Zaikiya Duncan has a history of abusing her children

While investigating the case, the police discovered that Duncan had a history of child abuse that dates back a decade. The authorities also found that Zaikiya Duncan's other kids were also subjected to horrific abuse.

The twins told authorities that their mother forced them to drink bleach and urine while locked inside the laundry room with their hands bound by zip ties and handcuffs.

Police investigations revealed Zaikiya Duncan was investigated at least twice in ten years before her 15-year-old twins were found knocking on several doors barefoot and shirtless, pleading for help from neighbors.

According to the court documents obtained by New York Post, Zaikiya Duncan was convicted of cruelty to a child on October 29, 2019, after allegedly deserting a child in Louisiana. However, the document did not elucidate whether the child was removed from her custody at the time of conviction since authorities cannot openly comment on the case.

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Zaikiya Duncan's past convictions reveal horrific details of child abuse

According to The Advocate magazine, in 2012, Zaikiya Duncan was booked with one count of cruelty to juveniles, along with the children’s father, Nicholas Menina, suspected of having fathered at least five of Duncan’s kids.

Court documents revealed that in 2012 Duncan was investigated for an abuse claim when her five-year-old child was taken to a hospital from the school after discovering burns to his genitals, feet, and other parts of the body. Medical examinations revealed that the burn marks were consistent with injuries from being submerged in hot water.

When authorities arrived at their home, they also found a twenty-month-old bound and wrapped in tight clothing. It is unclear if the children were removed from their home after authorities uncovered they were subjected to horrific disciplinary tactics, which included being forced to sleep on the floor of a locked closet in Baton Rouge.

According to the New York Post, Menina currently lives with his new wife in Baton Rouge.

Zaikiya Duncan, who has no employment record, moved into her Texas home two weeks before the twin's escape.

Duncan and her boyfriend Tyrell are waiting to be extradited to Texas from Louisiana, where they are being held without bond. Authorities said the couple will officially be charged once they are in texas.