Classmate: Girl tortured with siblings was bullied, frail

Michael Balsamo and Emily Schmall, Associated Press
Updated 8:29 pm, Tuesday, January 23, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The oldest of the 13 California siblings who authorities said were imprisoned by their parents was frail, smelly and picked on as a grade school student in Texas, one of her classmates said in a heart-wrenching Facebook post.

The now-29-year-old woman was rescued with her starving brothers and sisters from their home in Perris, California, on Jan. 14. Neighbors and relatives said they were unaware of the children's treatment until authorities arrested the parents and revealed what they found inside.

Taha Muntajibuddin attended kindergarten through third grade with her in Fort Worth, Texas. After learning of the case, he shared on Facebook his "overwhelming sense of guilt and shame" over how she was treated.

Muntajibuddin, a pediatrics resident doctor in Houston who confirmed his post to The Associated Press, described her as "a frail girl, had pin-straight hair with bangs, and often wore the same purple outfit."

More:
http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Donations-pour-in-for-13-siblings-held-captive-in-12518793.php