A mother in upstate New York said her 2-year-old son was found covered in feces and with multiple broken bones in a cage at her home, police said. He has been charged with criminal mischief.
New York State Police announced in a news release Thursday that a 24-year-old woman was arrested after her son was found living in squalid conditions with broken ribs and bruises on his body.
Police reported they learned of the infant’s condition when they went to the Buffalo family’s home on Feb. 4 to process a felony arrest warrant related to another crime. The release did not elaborate on the alleged crime.
While at the home, investigators found that the 2-year-old was in a “makeshift cage” in the bedroom, a playpen that was covered with part of a crib and tied to the top, “where the child could stand or sit. I found it inside. Please come out of the playpen,” the release states.
“The cage and 2-year-old child were covered in human feces. There was also feces on the walls,” investigators wrote in a statement. “The child and the bedding were soaked with urine and feces.”
Mother arrested after chicken bones found in cage
New York State Trooper James O’Callaghan told WKBW-TV that officers found food remains in the cage.
“It looked like a bone or a chicken bone. I mean, it was disgusting to look at,” O’Callaghan told the magazine.
Investigators at the scene contacted Child Protective Services, and an ambulance arrived and transported the child to Children’s Hospital.
The woman was taken to the Clarence Police Department and arrested on child endangerment charges, the release said.
It was not immediately known if the woman was released on bond Friday.
USA TODAY is not publishing the woman’s name to protect the identity of the child.
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Doctor: The child’s ribs had been broken for at least 10 days.
At the hospital, doctors determined that the baby had bruises on her face and body and two fractured ribs that were still healing. They determined this could indicate that his ribs had been broken 10 days to two weeks before the baby was seen by a doctor. medical personnel told police.
The woman told police that the child was injured when she fell down the stairs between late December 2023 and early January 2024. She added that women are not seeking medical attention.
It was not immediately known whether the woman had hired a lawyer.
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund.
