New York State Police said on Thursday that a woman was criminally charged for keeping her 2-year-old son in a cage.
On February 8, state police visited Naesha Lumpkin’s Buffalo home to execute an arrest warrant concerning a separate crime. It was then that officers found Lumpkin’s toddler son in a makeshift cage comprised of a playpen with a piece of crib tied to the top, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Trooper James O’Callaghan told WKBW that chicken bones were found near Lumpkin’s son and inside the cage. Authorities also claimed that the child, his bedding, and the walls were covered in urine and feces.
The toddler was sent to the hospital — where it was reportedly discovered that he had two fractured ribs which occurred 10 to 14 days prior. Staff also noted that he had bruises on his face and body, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported.
Lumpkin, 24, reportedly told detectives that her son fell down the stairs sometime between late December 2023 and January, but she never sought medical treatment.
O’Callaghan explained to WKBW that it took months to formally charge Lumpkin with child endangerment because they had to acquire evidence that linked her to her son’s injuries.
“Unfortunately here, by the time this child was transported to Children’s Hospital, you know, the bruising and the other injuries that were seeing were old, and would be almost impossible for us to prove,” Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane commented.
Lumpkin — who is not in custody — is due in court next month.
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[Featured Image: New York State Police]
