Police responded to a distress call at the residence of a Nevada couple and made a shocking discovery. They found an 11-year-old child trapped inside a large metal enclosure. The couple was subsequently arrested.
Misty Scanlan, 46, and Jeffery Scanlan, 41, have been arrested and charged with one count of child abuse and neglect, according to a statement from the Henderson Police Department. The arrest followed a visit by the police to the Scanlan residence at around 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, in response to a truancy report from the school district. The school officer had gone to the home after a child was reported missing from school and heard screams emanating from the house, as reported by CBS affiliate KLAS-TV. Subsequently, the truant officer called for backup assistance from the police.
According to the report, when the police arrived, it took the father approximately 40 minutes to open the door for them. Once inside, the officers discovered an 11-year-old boy confined in a large enclosure with metal bars and locked doors, which resembled a jail cell.
The father informed the police that the boy, who had severe Autism spectrum disorder, was wearing a diaper and had feces smeared all over the enclosure. Allegedly, the purpose of the cage was to manage his outbursts. During the incident, there were three other children present in the house. According to one of the children, the enclosure had been in the house for two years, as reported by KLAS. However, the father claimed that it had been there for six years.
According to the police report, there was a lack of furniture in the home, and disturbingly, the walls in the other bedrooms were smeared with feces. The mother admitted to the police that she made attempts to clean the bedrooms and the cage on a weekly basis, but it had been quite some time since the last cleaning.
Child protective services have taken custody of the three remaining children. According to KLAS, the 11-year-old has been transferred to the hospital.
The Scanlans were taken into custody and later released on a $5,000 bond the following day, as stated in online court records. They are set to appear in court in May.
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