3-Year-Old Girl Kept in Box in Indiana Home, 9 People Arrested

By Epoch Newsroom
December 21, 2016 Last Updated: December 21, 2016
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A 3-year-old girl in Indiana allegedly kept in a box for an undisclosed period of time, police said.

They discovered the child locked inside the wooden box this week, saying that nine people have been taken into custody as a result, Fox2 in Detroit reported.

The sheriff in North Judson, Indiana, said the girl was kept in the plywood box for “extended periods of time,” Fox2 reported. Adults rarely spoke to her, and the box contained dead bugs.

“Nobody spoke up about a little girl in a box, Even while we were in there, and started taking people out, nobody spoke up and said hey, there’s a little girl over here in a box,” Pulaski County Sheriff Jeff Richwine was quoted as saying.

The identity of the girl was not disclosed.

Forty-two-year-old Donna Short, 25-year-old Christopher Short, and 18-year-old Patricia Meeks face neglect charges, WSB-TV reported. It’s unclear if they have attorneys. Six other people—including four teenagers—were charged with failure to report child abuse.

Police were called to the house after reports of child abuse were filed.

The girl is now in protective custody. Five other children were also found in the home, and they’re now in the care of the state, Fox2 reported.