Photo: WRCB via Murray Co. Sheriff's Dept.
Two women in northwest Georgia are facing child cruelty charges after police officers discovered an 11-year-old boy trapped in a makeshift cage in a bedroom.
The boy was described as a child with "special needs" by police. An 8 year old girl, his sister, also lived in the home. She was routinely kept in a cage of her own.
Stephanie Stone, 34, and Wanda Redfern, 49, were arrested Thursday. The charges against them include first-degree cruelty to children and false imprisonment. Investigators found methamphetamine.
The deputy was given permission to enter the home and inside found the 11-year-old boy in a cage made from one twin bed turned over on top of another and with bars on the sides in one bedroom, Ramey said. Zip ties held the cage together and kept the boy from getting out.
"He had about a 2-by-2-foot area that was not encumbered by toys, clothing and other debris," Ramey said, adding that the child was not able to sit up in the enclosure.
In a second bedroom, the deputy found a makeshift cage made of wood. That cage was empty, but Ramey said investigators had reason to believe the 8-year-old girl was sometimes kept in there.
This being Georgia, the family situation is complex. Stone is two children's mom. Redfern is the fiancée of Stone's stepfather. A third arrest is possible, and the case remains under investigation today.
Meth. Not even once.
