Charges: Sanborn man kept family ‘prisoners in their own home’

A Sanborn man is accused of physically, emotionally, and verbally abusing his entire family.

Wayne Alan Turbes, 44, was charged with felony counts of third-degree assault – past pattern of child abuse, and threats of violence.

A criminal complaint says Turbes’ ex-girlfriend called police to report that Turbes was calling her non-stop and driving around looking for her after she moved to a safe house with her children.

Turbes and the woman have three children in common, and she also has two older children of her own, according to the complaint.

In audio recordings provided to investigators, Turbes allegedly screamed at his 7-year-old daughter to do her homework, becoming so upset that he broke a TV remote over the table.  When the girl did come downstairs, Turbes pushed her head into a hard armrest on the couch, says the complaint.

Another audio recording revealed Turbes calling one of the older children a “f**king bitch,” and a “snotty ass c**t,” while he threatened to break the TV, according to the complaint.

A summary of a third recording by child protection services says Turbes was recorded screaming at a three-year-old as chairs are moved or thrown.

In an interview with sheriff’s investigators, one of the older children said they have lived with Turbes for ten years and nothing is ever good enough for him.  The boy reported that Turbes has physically hurt the children several times, including slapping one of the girls for putting her boots on a vehicle seat.

The boy played yet another recording for police, which the complaint says was a two-year-old child screaming “stop beating me,” as she cried.  The boy said Turbes was angry because the child was crying, and matters escalated when the older girl intervened.  Later in the recording, Turbes was heard telling the older girl to sleep in the car because she wasn’t welcome in the house anymore.

The older girl told police she has been smacked in the face by Turbes for getting mud on the seat of his car, but said he likes to pick on the younger kids because he knows they are not going to come after him.

Turbes’ ex told investigators most of the abuse is emotional and verbal, and the family has “pretty much prisoners in their own home” since COVID because they are not allowed to leave.  She told police Turbes is getting “really controlling.”

Turbes is also charged with misdemeanor counts of malicious punishment of a child, domestic assault, and disorderly conduct.