BELLEFONTAINE NEIGHBORS, Mo. — A St. Louis County man is facing charges after police said he trapped his family members in the basement of their shared home and tortured them.
Anthony Holloway was charged with eight crimes in connection with the days-long incident in late July that left his sister and his parents hospitalized.
According to the charging documents, Holloway got into an argument with his sister inside their home on July 26. When his parents tried to break up the fight, all four fell down the basement stairs.
Charging documents said Holloway then dragged them one by one into a room in the basement, zip-tied their hands together and left them in the dark for several days.
Police said over the next four days, he kept them in the basement without food or water, would periodically hit them with a "whip-like object" and physically abused them using fire and feces.
On July 30, a family member called the police asking them to go check on the home. When officers arrived, the doors were blocked from the inside, preventing anyone from getting in or out, according to charging documents.
Once police were able to make it inside, they found Holloway and the three victims in the basement of the home. Police said Holloway was the only one whose hands were not zip-tied, and the other three family members looked emaciated, dehydrated and disoriented.
EMS workers had to use stretchers to get them out of the basement because they were too weak to stand. All three were taken to the hospital for life-saving treatment. Holloway's mother was treated for burns on her hands.
Holloway was charged with three counts of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of abuse of an elderly person, two counts of first-degree assault of a special victim and one count of first-degree assault in connection with the incident.
A judge set his bond at $300,000, cash only.
Resources for crime victims
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support victims of crime. Crime Victim Center’s programs range from direct services to crime victims as well as “creating awareness and change within the systems they encounter.”
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been the victim of an incident that caused trauma.
The Bullet Related Injury Clinic (BRIC) is a community-based clinic in St. Louis that helps people heal after they have been injured by a bullet. The BRIC was established to help people who are discharged from the emergency department after being shot.
