Texas parents who kept their adopted son locked in the garage for five years claim he is a sexual predator who is a danger to their children

Koystya Thyssen, 22, was adopted from Kazakhstan 10 years ago by Jenifer and Dane Thyssen

He has been locked inside a boarded-up garage for the past five years because he is a danger to their other children, according to a family lawyer

The troubled man was arrested last month for stealing underwear and magazines from a neighbor

A Texas couple accused of kidnapping and imprisoning their adopted son for five years in a garage apartment was busted by police after the 22-year-old was arrested for burglarizing a neighbor’s home.

Koystya Thyssen, of Dripping Springs, told investigators that parents Jenifer and Dane Thyssen kept him in isolation for six days a week, according to court documents. His parents claim it was for the safety of their family.



The accused robber was only allowed from his prison one day a week to shower and go to therapy, according to an affidavit. The Thyssen's lawyer insisted his imprisonment was because he is a sexual predator who is a danger to others.

'They ran out of options': Parents Jenifer Thyssen (left) and Dane Thyssen (right) claim they had to lock Koystya Thyssen in the garage because he is a 'sexual predator' who is a danger to their other children



Police first learned of this bizarre arrangement in May, after the troubled man was busted for stealing undergarments and magazines from the neighbor.



The items were found in the garage apartment, authorities said.

He was able to escape by using a screwdriver he stole from Dane Thyssen.

Held captive: Koystya Thyssen was only allowed out of the garage one day a week to shower and visit a therapist, according to an affidavit

The adopted man, originally from Kazakhstan, then opened up to investigators about his time in isolation.

Jenifer and Dane left him with only a microwave, refrigerator, toilet and sink, according to an affidavit cited in multiple reports. The windows were boarded up and the apartment was locked from the outside.

He was given one box of food per week and only allowed to shower just before heading off to therapy, authorities said.

The isolation has left the man with no friends, he claims, but relatives insist the Thyssens had little choice.

Koystya was adopted 10 years ago and brought to the U.S. by the Thyssens, Dan Thyssen’s brother told KXAN.

He was abused as a child and has a diminished mental capacity, the brother explained. The family tried for years to get help from the state.

‘They did everything they could and just ran out of options,’ defense attorney Perry Minton told KEYE.

Minton told TWC News Austin that Koystya is ‘a sexual predator with predatory tendencies,’ and that the family had little choice but to confine him.

‘He was allowed out. What they wouldn't do was just take off and let him roam around wherever and go out of the house,’ said Minton.

Solitary confinement: Koystya Thyssen was locked in this garage for six days a week, he told police

‘His family has structured a situation and said you stay in here and we're going to integrate you in the family some, we're going to take you to counseling,’ the lawyer continued.

One commenter on the KXAN story claiming to know the Thyssens insisted they are ‘saints,’ and that the family did everything they could to find Koystya Thyssen help – including a $10,000-a-month mental institution that drained their savings.

The commenter also claimed to have seen Koystya ‘a month or so ago’ when Dane Thyssen brought him to work.

A neighbor didn’t buy it though, and told KEYE they are ‘bad parents, bad, bad, bad parents.’

All three are currently being held in Hays County Jail, records showed.