The beige-colored, two-story houses in line for Helena Drive are a microcosm of the quietness of the Southern California suburbs, but residents were recently shocked when they learned of some of their long-time neighbors in Victorville.

In the neighborhood's plastic pool, basketball basket and children's bike, a couple and their daughter are accused of torture and abuse of six children, some of which are for years.

Court documents show that the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office has charged Kenneth and Tina Key, 60, and Katlynn Key, 23, with six counts of torture and one count of child abuse in cases where serious bodily injury or death.

Prosecutors said adults tortured the children, beat them every day and strangled them to death, deprived them of their food. The alleged abuse of certain children continued for more than a decade, according to the alleged documents.

"We don't know what's going on in someone's home. The sounds that are heard are painful," said Jose Martinez, a shocked next door neighbor. “They may ask us for help if they need it.”

On a recent morning, a lonely minivan sat in the driveway outside the Key Home. The knock on the door was not answered.

Martinez said the kids who live with the keys are regular fixtures outside this high desert community.

"They've been playing outside. There's never anything that worries us," Martinez said. "They're just a regular family."

The kids helped Martinez put up Christmas decorations and occasionally brought the trash can to the curb. When he worked as a pizza delivery driver, he sometimes gave his kids pizza. They seemed to be happy, very well received, and sometimes talked to him about their homework and classes.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials announced in a press release that the children at home are between 5 and 16 years old.

Kenneth Key serves as a security guard and often talks about children’s training to do housework for them, but he never mentioned physical harm to them.

“He would ask me if my yard needs to be removed from any weeds or something like that,” Martinez said.

Initially, authorities identified the child as the care of foster parents, but the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office later clarified that they were legal guardians.

A teenage victim will remove the children from his home on February 13 after walking to a nearby Stater Bros. supermarket and asking someone to contact police. Anderson said some children wrote about so-called abuse in journals.

Neighbors say the kids are not restricted from leaving the key home and interact with their neighbors frequently.

After the children were evacuated from their homes, Kenneth Key asked his neighbors to write a letter of support to speak about his character as a provider. According to residents of Helena Drive, several neighbors did write the letters.

"He's the kind of neighbor who takes the lead when there are illegal drug users on the street," said a neighbor who declined to be named. Kenneth Key would call the police when a suspicious person walks by someone nearby, or he would face them himself.

Now, all three adult members of the main house are held in a county jail. They pleaded not guilty to Thursday's charges and are expected to return to court on Tuesday.

Prosecutors have barely disclosed alleged abuse and the circumstances surrounding the time the children were at home. The sheriff launched an investigation against the Children's Department investigators in February, and the key was arrested on May 12.

Sheriff's spokesman Gloria Orejel said there were no reports of abuse before the investigation began.

Anyone with information about this case can contact DET. Katie Merrill of Professional Investigation Department, (909) 890-4904. Anonymous tips can be made using (800)78 Crime (27463) or the We-Tip hotline at www.wetip.com.