A Kentucky lady was recently arrested for a wide range of child abuse-related offenses, including locking her 10-year-old daughter in a dog cage for days on end, according to authorities.
Sheila Mann, 31, is charged with one count of first-degree strangulation, first-degree criminal abuse involving a child aged 12 or younger, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, first-degree wanton endangerment, third-degree terroristic threatening, and failure to appear, according to Madison County Detention Center records.
Police allege that the abuse in Madison County occurred between January 1 and early March of this year. “The child, who is under the age of 12, had disclosed to investigators that Ms. Mann had locked her inside a dog kennel-style cage for two to three days at a time, and would only allow her to exit that cage to use the restroom,” Richmond Police Chief Rodney Richardson told Lexington-based CBS and The CW affiliate WKYT.
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During a forensic investigation, the girl said that the defendant briefly strangled her around the neck with her hands. According to the TV station, the girl reportedly claimed Mann threatened to slice her throat, citing a criminal complaint warrant.
According to authorities, the girl complained of difficulty breathing and throat pain for several days following the alleged strangling event.
Mann is also accused of putting the kid face down on the kitchen floor and sitting on her back, according to court paperwork acquired by Danville Fox affiliate WDKY.
According to authorities, the alleged abuse lasted several minutes until the mother tied the girl’s hands behind her back with twine.
The girl reportedly informed authorities that twine was occasionally used to keep the dog cage shut. The alleged victim claimed she attempted to flee several times but was never successful.
The accused mother is determined to share her side of the story.
During an interview with WKYT, Mann rejected the charges against her, claiming that they stemmed from a misunderstanding regarding a circumstance in which she was the victim. The defendant claimed the incident or occurrences occurred in nearby Georgetown, a medium-sized city about 40 miles northwest of Richmond.
“No, that is not true. That’s not accurate at all,” Mann told the TV station during a jailhouse interview, refuting the allegation regarding the dog cage incarceration system. “I’ve never done anything like that. I’ve always had a career in caretaking.”
The Richmond Police Department said it is now working to complete the request.
According to Lawandcrime, Mann’s kid is currently being cared for by foster parents.
Mann was arrested on Monday and is being jailed on a $50,000 bond. According to Madison County records, the defendant will next appear in court for her arraignment on Wednesday morning.