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Margate Police Arrest Additional Suspect in Decade-Long Abuse and Torture of a Child

by Ryan Yousefi November 5, 2023

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Additional Arrest Made in Decade-Long Abuse and Torture of a Margate Child

Shankyria Latricia Clayton {BSO}.

By Ryan Yousefi

The Margate Police Department has made another arrest as part of the department’s ongoing investigation into the horrifying child abuse of a 15-year-old victim who had suffered over a decade of torture at the hands of her abusers.

Following the report on October 24, which led to the arrest of Latricia Crawley, 46, and Benjamin Lockett, 43, a Margate couple, who had been abusing and torturing their 15-year-old niece for nearly a decade, a further investigation has revealed two additional caregivers involved in the case.

Shankyria Latricia Clayton, 20, of Margate, as well as an additional caretaker whose identity has not yet been revealed, were both arrested on November 2 by the Margate Police Department in connection to a child abuse incident that has rocked the Margate community.

According to the arrest report, Clayton resided with the child during the period of abuse and is alleged to have participated in, witnessed, and knew about the extensive abuse and torture the victim endured over the years.

According to the victim’s statement, abuse that Clayton witnessed or participated in included forcing the victim to kneel on uncooked rice for extended periods, resulting in permanent disfigurement to her knees, her being tied up and having her toes struck with a hammer, and being bound with a nylon rope on multiple occasions, leading to permanent disfigurement of her skin.

The report states that the victim’s state of malnutrition was evident, with clear indications she had been caged in a closet on multiple occasions without proper care or reporting of her caregivers.

According to the report, the unidentified caregiver refused to provide a statement and is now in custody.

The Margate Police Department, in collaboration with the Department of Children and Families (DCF), continues to investigate the abuse case, and both Latricia Crawley and Benjamin Lockett remain in custody, facing charges of aggravated child abuse and neglect with great bodily harm.

Clayton now faces charges of aggravated child abuse, neglect, and failure to report child abuse. She was taken into custody and transported to the Broward County Main Jail, where she currently remains.

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Author Profile

Ryan Yousefi

Ryan Yousefi has lived in Coral Springs for over 30 years. He has worked as a writer for multiples outlets over the years, including the Miami New Times where he has covered sports and culture since 2013. He holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Business Healthcare Management from Western Governors University.