Cops: Woman brutally beat, imprisoned Hernando teen

SPRING HILL, FL -- Deputies arrested a woman Tuesday on charges of aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment. They say Tailing Gigliotti had been keeping a teenage relative locked in a bathroom since 2007.

Investigators say the 17-year-old male went to a neighbor's door asking for help. He had bruises and cuts on his left arm and shoulder, along with cuts and contusions about his head, arms and face.

When deputies arrived, the victim said that he lived with Gigliotti, a relative, who had been locking him in the bathroom daily since November 2007 and only allowed him out when she was home.

The victim said he had not slept in a regular bed for more than three years and was made to sleep on the floor in the hallway until November 2007, when Gigliotti confined him to sleeping in the bathroom.

The bathroom door was locked from the outside and the window barricaded with plywood so he could not escape.

The victim said that on Sunday, Gigliotti made him strip and tied his hands with packing tape. He said he was beaten with a piece of wood about three feet long and one inch square.

He said he was also beaten with a short section of water hose with metal and plastic ends. The beating caused numerous lacerations and contusions to the his head, back, buttocks, left shoulder, forearms and hands.

After the beating, the victim was kept nude and locked inside the bathroom without medical attention for his injuries while Gigliotti went to work.

The power to the bathroom had been turned off at the main panel, leaving the him in total darkness. On Monday, he managed to break open the door and go to the neighbor's house for help.

A search warrant was obtained for Gigliotti's residence and evidence linked to the crime was found. A warrant for Gigliotti was issued and she turned herself into the Hernando County Jail on Tuesday. Her bond was set at $15,000.

Gigliotti has obtained an attorney and has had nothing to say.

The victim is now in state custody. While being treated for his injuries, doctors discovered he had a broken bone in his right forearm and scars from past beatings on his body.

Copyright 2009 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.