A Mississippi couple was arrested in connection with an alleged case of child abuse.
Brenda Dennison, 51, and her boyfriend Adrian LeSure, 51, have been charged with two counts of felony child abuse each for reportedly locking two of Dennison’s grandchildren in a dog cage at least one time.
According to the Tate County Sheriff’s Office, administrators at East Tate Elementary School made a report after a child told their teacher that when they got into trouble at home, they were kept in a cage.
According to Memphis, Tenn.-based Fox affiliate WHBQ and NBC affiliate WMC, the child outlined this news as a direct appeal to the teacher to prevent unwanted problems at school so they wouldn’t be punished at home.
The accusations were initially reported to Mississippi’s Child Protective Services agency. After that, the case was referred to the TCSO.
Deputies and child welfare investigators went to the Dennison home on the 400 block of Turner Road in Coldwater, Miss., and reportedly noticed a metal, wire cage with some some kind of locking device. According to authorities, adequate additional evidence was unearthed at the scene to lead investigators to believe that kids were, at some point, placed in the dog cage.
The cage served as a form of punishment, according to Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance. However, the sheriff stated that no kids were present inside the cage when law enforcement personnel searched it.
On Tuesday, March 8, 2022, authorities were notified of the referral. Both defendants had been arrested and charged by the end of the day on Wednesday.
Authorities say the investigation is still ongoing and that add’l charges against the accused persons may be filed.
“I’ve never had to deal with this type of situation since I’ve been in law enforcement and it’s very disturbing,” TCSO Captain Lisa Sanders, a nearly 25-year law enforcement veteran, told WREG. “If something is said that just doesn’t seem right, report it. Let us look into it. Let us determine if it is nothing or it is something. Phone calls and people just speaking up saves lives.”
Source: Law and Crime
