Family recently held garage sale to get rid of "materialistic stuff," neighbor says

Parents accused of leaving their children bound and blindfolded in a Walmart parking lot recently sold off some belongings in preparation for the end of the world, a neighbor said Thursday.

"I was here last week at the garage sale and they were selling all of their belongings; the lady was reading her book," neighbor Kathy Grotefend said. "She said she believes it's the end of the world and they don't need this materialistic stuff."

Adolfo Gomez Jr., 52 and Deborah Gomez, 43 of Northlake IL., face several counts each of child abuse and child endangerment. Police arrested them Wednesday in Lawrence, KS., after a passer by saw a 5-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl bound and blindfolded outside the family van.

Authorities said the family was living out of their vehicle and were on their way to Arizona.

Grotefend said she tried to allay Deborah Gomez's concerns about the end of the world before the family left on their cross-country excursion.

"I told her nobody knows when the end of the world was going to come," said Grotefend. "We don't know. God doesn't let us know."

Grotefend also remarked that Adolfo Gomez, Jr. seemed angry and described the five children as "beautiful.