New Mexico Parents Force Teen to Live In Tent As Punishment

Jacob and Angela Boggus have run out of ideas on ways to punish their 16-year-old son for stealing from them, so they have forced him to live in a purple tent in their backyard.

"We're not doing anything wrong here," Angela Boggus said. "We're simply trying to teach our child a lesson."

"Anybody who wants to talk some sense into him is more than welcome," Jacob Boggus said. "We're not trying to hide from this."

Each day the kid is given a jug of water and has permission to leave the tent when he has to use the bathroom. However, the parents aren't complete savages and also let the 16-year-old inside each night to sleep at 9 pm. But as soon as he wakes up, it's back to the purple tent.

Members of the small town community have voiced their opinions on the unorthodox disciplinary approach and the local sheriff has even been called out to the home three times. What Jacob and Angela are doing is not illegal, says Valencia County Chief Deputy Gary Hall. "It's not like he's been banished out to the mesa a hundred miles away from civilization."