Sheriff: Sacramento Man Beat Mentally Disabled Teen Daughter

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A father is behind bars for felony child endangerment charges after he allegedly beat and bound his mentally disabled daughter.

"It was sad, it was sad," said Doris Sims. "She was kicking and stuff like that and that's when he kneed her."

Sims says she saw 52-year-old Brett Holdaway viciously beat his special-needs daughter Sunday night in the parking lot of a Sacramento apartment complex on Markston Road.

"It is very fortunate that this person did alert us and bring it to our attention," said Sacramento County sheriff's Sgt. Jason Ramos.

Sims made the 911 call after she says Holdaway's 16-year-old daughter, who has the mental capacity of a 2-year-old, refused to go inside an apartment. Holdaway then allegedly began beating her.

"That's when he picked her up and kneed her in the vagina and threw her to the ground and he said he was going to hit her," said Sims.

He allegedly stopped when he saw Sims. After she saw the father attack his little girl in this parking lot, Sims says, that's when he took her in this apartment complex and she heard more screaming.

When deputies arrived, they say the girl was locked in a car and appeared to be confused. Once they got her out, they were shocked with what they found.

"It's clear that she has been tied and bound, most recently," said Ramos. "Injuries consistent with hot water burns were found near her lower extremities."

Holdaway was arrested a year ago for allegedly leaving his daughter alone in what officers called a filthy home.

Child Protective Services took the girl away but, according to neighbors, for some unknown reason she was returned to live with her father a few months ago -- even though Holdaway goes to trial for the charges next month.

When pushed for an explanation, CPS told CBS13 our request came too late in the day.

"He's a good guy, and he's a great dad from what I've seen," said one neighbor. "I've never witnessed him doing anything, anything at all."

Holdaway has a history of drug-related charges dating back to 1992.