Police found a boy locked in a dog crate at a Philadelphia home Thursday afternoon after responding to reports of yelling.
The Philadelphia Police Department arrived on the scene on Glenview Street around 1 p.m., first locating two children ages 3 and 5 who were crying and wandering around the back of the residence, NBC News reports.
When they ventured inside the house, police discovered a naked 6-year-old boy trapped inside a dog cage which was closed with a flange.
All three children were taken to nearby St. Christopher Children’s Hospital for evaluation. His conditions are currently unknown.
The boys’ parents, Michelle Campbell, 30, and Paul Weber, 31, were arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering a person, police said in a release.
It is not yet known how long the boy was in the cage, but it seems that it was not the first time.
CBS Philadelphia reports that the boy’s mother had previously I leave it naked with just a pillow and blanket when she went out, police adding that she often locked the 6-year-old in the dog crate when she left home.
Police also reported that they found an elderly woman in a wheelchair inside the house, along with a 40-year-old man. The two identified themselves as the children’s grandmother and uncle, respectively.
There were five children in total living inside the home, but two were at school when police arrived on the scene.
“It just amazes me that they put their kids in cages,” said Hector Perez, who lives next door on Glenview Street.
