GLENDALE, Ariz. — An Arizona man is accused of tying up his stepson with ropes and physically assaulting him, authorities said.

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Mto Assa, 37, of Glendale, was arrested Tuesday evening and charged on suspicion of child abuse, aggravated assault, and unlawful imprisonment, The Arizona Republic reported.

According to investigators, Assa confirmed that he restrained the 14-year-old boy with rope but denied hitting him, the newspaper reported.

According to police, the teen ran to his neighbor’s house and asked for help, KNXV reported. The boy said Assa had tied his hands behind his back, bound his ankles, and then connected the ropes together, the television station reported.

The boy told police that Assa struck him, KTVK reported. He said his younger sister was able to free one of the ropes so that he could run for help, according to the television station.

The teen asked a neighbor for help, and that person cut the ropes from the boy’s hands and feet before police arrived, according to the Republic.

According to investigators, the boy’s mother had filed a police report on the teen as a runaway earlier Tuesday, KTVK reported. When the boy returned home, he alleged that Assa tied him up and struck him, adding that his stepfather threatened to keep him tied up for the next year, KNXV reported.

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