A mother, grandmother and grandfather in Alabama who are accused of locking children in makeshift wooden cages were arrested Wednesday.
Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones announced the arrests of Kylla Michelle Mann, 30, Pamela Deloris Bond, 66 and James H. Bond, 69, on Wednesday.
The sheriff’s office said it received information Monday in regard to possible child abuse at a residence in Smiths Station, which is about 8 miles from Phenix City near the Georgia border.
When authorities conducted a welfare check at the residence, they found four children, ages 3, 4, 10 and 11. They also discovered two wooden cages that had hasps and locks.
Investigators said they learned that the children had been locked in the cages on multiple occasions. Among the images from the home released by the sheriff's office was one of a crib with what appear to be wood slates over it.
A fifth child, an 8-month-old who was not present at the time of the welfare check, is also believed to have lived at the residence.
All five children have been removed from the home and are in the care of the county, the sheriff's office said.
On Wednesday, the suspects were each charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse of a child less than 6 years of age and two counts of reckless endangerment. Pamela Bond is also charged with one count of tampering with physical evidence. She is being held on a $123,000 bond.
Bail was set at $122,000 for James Bond and Mann. The three were still being held at Lee County Detention Center as of Thursday morning.
