3-year-old found at home locked inside cage that was filled with bugs, Ohio cops say
A grandmother was arrested and parents are wanted after toddlers were discovered in a home found “in deplorable condition,” Ohio deputies say.
Detectives with the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office went to the home on Sunday, Sept. 18, for a sexual assault investigation involving the parents, Franklin “TJ” Varney and Megan Smith, according to a news release.
A 3-year-old child was discovered locked inside a cage that was secured by zip ties, the sheriff’s office said. It was “filled with bugs, soiled bedding and a cup full of spoiled milk,” according to the sheriff.
The sheriff’s office said a 2-year-old was also in the home and was found holding a methamphetamine pipe.
The toddler’s grandmother, 61-year-old Ella Webb, has custody of the children. She was detained and charged with endangering children, according to the sheriff’s office.
Varney and Smith are accused of fleeing the home, and they are wanted on endangering children warrants. The sheriff did not disclose details of the sexual assault investigation.
“I very, very strongly encourage Mr. Varney and Ms. Smith to immediately surrender themselves to law enforcement,” Chief Deputy Caleb Moritz said in a news release. “If they choose to run from their responsibilities, as they did tonight, the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office will tirelessly leverage every local, State, and Federal resource available to bring these two to justice.”
The toddlers were placed in emergency foster care, according to the sheriff’s office.
Hocking County is in southeast Ohio about 50 miles southeast of Columbus.
