By Ryan Yousefi

A Margate couple is behind bars after law enforcement discovered they have been brutally abusing and torturing their 15-year-old niece for nearly a decade, causing permanent physical disfigurement.

On October 24, Margate Police officers were dispatched to a residence where, upon arrival, they discovered a scene of horrifying abuse and a child victim who had been struck in the head with an object, causing a severe laceration requiring immediate medical attention.

According to the police report, officers first responded to the couple’s home after the teenage victim contacted her online instructor for assistance.

The victim was promptly transported to Broward Health Coral Springs for treatment. At the same time, officers investigated further, with their first order of business taking into custody her caretakers, Latricia Crawley, 46, and Benjamin Lockett, 43, of Margate, both of whom they anticipated would be responsible for the child’s injuries.

During the child’s medical examination, officers noted that the victim bore signs of long-term abuse and trauma, including ligature marks, bruising, scar tissue, insect bite marks, and malnutrition.

According to the arrest report, the victim, who had been in the couple’s custody since 2014, disclosed the extent of her abuse in agonizing detail. She described being unlawfully confined to closets, physically tortured, and subjected to maltreatment that resulted in permanent disfigurement.

The victim provided specific incidents of abuse:

In 2019, at 11, Lockett kicked her in the chin, leaving a permanent scar.
In 2021, at 13, Crawley forced her to kneel on rice for hours, causing permanent disfigurement to her knees.
The same year, she said she was tied to an object and struck her toes with a hammer, causing severe pain and bleeding.
In 2022, at 14, the victim said the couple tied her to various objects with a nylon rope, resulting in permanent disfigurement on her shoulders, wrists, and stomach.
That same year, she said, Lockett threw a pot of boiling water at her, causing permanent scarring to her stomach.

Officers at the scene noted the presence of a locking mechanism on the outside of two closets within the home, with blood droplets inside one of the closets. The victim revealed that, for nearly a decade, she had been locked in these closets, sometimes bound with zip ties, provided with a bucket for basic needs, and subjected to various forms of torture.

The victim told officers the couple would frequently pour cold water on her while she slept, and one ruthless punishment involved taping her eyes closed and dunking her head underwater.

According to the police report, the victim’s description of these punishments was so distressing that she required multiple breaks to compose herself during the interview.

Medical examinations revealed signs of malnutrition, with the victim’s nail beds reddening and visible bone outlines, especially around her spine, consistent with her account of being starved as a form of punishment.

Noted in the arrest report is that neither Lockett nor Lawley made efforts to ask about the victim or check on her welfare while in police custody; instead, they expressed a desire to relinquish custody of her.

Upon inspecting the residence again, officers found that the blood in the closet had been cleaned up.

Lawley and Lockett were taken into custody, arrested, and transported to the Broward County Main Jail. They are facing charges of aggravated child abuse and neglect with great bodily harm.

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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.