Parents arrested after locking child in dog cage, feeding her dog food
A couple has been arrested for allegedly abusing their 6-year-old child by locking her in a dog crate, beating her, starving her for days and only feeding her dog food, among other criminal acts.
CBS News reported that Jacob Weight and Mimi Frost of Brownsville were arrested for aggravated assault, strangulation, endangering the welfare of children, and multiple other charges.
According to police, the investigation started when they were alerted that there was an unresponsive six-year-old at a house along Sheridan Avenue. "When Troopers arrived, they observed the residence in deplorable condition," authorities said in a statement.
Dog feces, trash, and urine were found "throughout the house," they noted.
"After conducting interviews with all the children within the residence, it was uncovered that the six-year-old child was being held in a dog crate, zip-tied, and beat with a broom on multiple occasions. The arrestees also committed various other criminal acts against the child," they added.
A teenager told investigators that the victim was placed in a dog kennel naked and was left there for one night without heat. "When the family left the house, the teenager said Frost zip-tied the girl's hands and feet together and locked the kennel. The teenager also told state police that Frost wouldn't feed the girl for days at a time," CBS News reported.
The media outlet stated in its report that the medical reports of the child showed she had various skin abrasions, extensive brushing, and open sores. Doctors found she also experienced severe hypothermia, a condition "caused by prolonged exposures to very cold temperatures," according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The criminal complaint said the victim hadn't had routine pediatric care in three years and had been withheld from school," CBS News reported.
Weight denied the accusations, while Frost refused to comment in an interview with reporters as they were being taken from the state police barracks, according to Herald Standard.