Pa. Woman Admits To Caging Disabled Child, 12
TOWANDA, Pa. (AP) — A northern Pennsylvania mother has admitted keeping her 12-year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy, in a makeshift cage and in a locked closet.
Mary Beth Frankenfield of Dushore pleaded guilty Thursday in Bradford County Court to a misdemeanor charge of child endangerment. She will be sentenced Nov. 25.
Investigators said starting in December 2010, Frankenfield and her husband, Richard Frankenfield, routinely locked the 10-year-old girl in a cage made from a crib and plywood and forced her to stay there for extended periods. Police said the girl was also locked in her parents' bedroom closet for long periods.
The parents told police they wanted to protect her from getting into things.
Richard Frankenfield is due in court for a preliminary hearing Nov. 8.
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
