Man, 31, faces child abuse charges after 'forcing stepson to sleep in a locked laundry room, drink hot sauce until he vomited and hold a bottle rocket in his mouth until it exploded - while the boy's mother did nothing'

A Connecticut man has been arrested for abusing his stepson who was forced to sleep in a locked laundry room for four months, drink hot sauce until he vomited, and hold a bottle rocket in his mouth until it exploded.

Kevin Grant, 31, and Kaitlin Elizabeth Baptiste, 29, were arrested on October 16 for abusing the child while the boy’s mother did nothing to stop it.

The boy’s age and condition were not immediately released.

Naugatuck police first started investigating the couple after they were called to their Forest Street home, north of New Haven, on October 1 for a report of abuse.

They said they learned that Grant, the victim’s stepfather, forced the child to sleep locked in a laundry room for months, allegedly only letting him out to use the bathroom.

Connecticut man Jevin Grant, 31, was arrested on October 16 for abusing his stepson by forcing him to sleep in a locked laundry room for four months. His wife Kaitlin Elizabeth Baptiste, 29, was also arrested and police say she knew he was abusing her son but did nothing to stop it

He also punished the boy by forcing him to kneel on tacks and forced him to drink hot sauce. On one occasion when the victim ate too much spicy food he was forced to ingest his own vomit, according to the arrest warrant.

Grant also alleged forced the child to hold a bottle rocket in his own mouth until it exploded, authorities say.

A Department of Children and Families worker noticed a scar on the victim’s face, which had come from the explosive, according to WFSB.

Grant told the DCF worker that the child was put in the laundry room as punishment for playing too rough with his siblings.

The victim told DCF that in June one of his siblings was playing and 'cracked his head open', but the he was blamed for the injury.

When Grant got home that day he allegedly beat the victim with a belt.

After the sibling was taken to the hospital, the victim said he was forced to stand in a corner facing the wall for about a week and and sleep on a mattress in the tiny laundry room.

During that period Grant forced him to kneel on rice for an entire day and do pushups until he couldn’t move his arms.

He also made the victim stand on one foot on a ladder that had tacks on the steps and underneath it.

Naugatuck police first started investigating the couple after they were called to their Forest Street home, north of New Haven, on October 1 for a report of abuse

The boy told police Grant made him drink hot sauce until he vomited, beat him with a belt, and made him hold a bottle rocket in his mouth until it exploded, according to the arrest warrant

The child told DCF that when his leg became tired he had to put his foot down on the tacks, which made him bleed.

Police say the wife knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it. 

'Through the investigation, it was determined the accused was aware that her husband, the juvenile's step-father, was forcing him to sleep in a locked closet for several months and would subject the child to various physical punishments, including kneeling on tacks and drinking hot sauce until he vomited,’ police said.

Grant and his wife made their first court appearance on Monday.

Grant has been charged with risk of injury to a child, second-degree assault, intentional cruelty, disorderly conduct and reckless endangerment.

Baptiste was charged with risk of injury to a child, reckless endangerment, conspiracy to commit intentional cruelty and conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct.

Grant and Baptiste were released after posting $25,000 and $10,000 bonds respectively and they’re expected to return to court on November 10.