Dad accused of locking up kids for months

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A Rockdale County father and his two adult sisters are accused of locking three children in their rooms for months.

Investigators believe Lev Dzyuba, 37, Alina Dzyuba, 20, and Natalia Mellon, 26, deprived the children of food and the ability to leave their rooms in the Conyers-area home, the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office said. The three were arrested Thursday at the home.

“In this case, the abuse may be more mental, less physical and more subtle,” Capt. Chris Traylor said wit the sheriff’s office said.

The children, 8, 10, and 15, were removed from a Hull Road home and placed into protective custody. Traylor says the treatment allegedly began about a year ago when the children’s mother passed away.

Lev Dzyuba’s wife, Larisa, died Aug. 19, 2012, according to her online obituary.

Lev Dzyuba, Alina Dzyuba and Mellon were each charged first degree cruelty to children and false imprisonment, jail records show. All three were being held without bond late Thursday.

A neighbor told Channel 2 Action News that nothing seemed amiss at the family’s home.

“It has to just completely separate them from all of their peers and just be a huge impact on them,” Andrew Covington said. “It’s just a complete shock to everybody that it would happen that close to home.”