Buffalo Police Discover 2-Year-Old in Makeshift Cage, Mother Arrested

An upstate New York mother is facing child endangerment charges after police discovered her 2-year-old son in a cage at their house, soiled in feces and suffering from many broken bones.

New York State Police arrested the 24-year-old woman after her baby was discovered living in appalling conditions, with shattered ribs and bruising on his body, according to a news release issued Thursday.

Police said they discovered the toddler’s condition while visiting the family’s Buffalo home on February 4 to serve a felony arrest warrant for the lady in connection with another incident. The announcement did not go into detail about the suspected crime.

Investigators discovered the 2-year-old in a bedroom inside “a makeshift cage,” a play pen covered with a piece of crib fastened to the top, “not allowing the child to stand or exit the playpen,” according to the release.

“The cage and the two-year-old were coated with human feces. “There was fecal matter on the walls,” the investigators stated in their release. “The child and bedding were soaked in urine and fecal matter.”

Chicken Bones Discovered in Cage; Mother Jailed

New York State Trooper James O’Callaghan told WKBW-TV that officers discovered food leftovers inside the cage.

“Bones, such as chicken bones. So it was something that looked awful,” O’Callaghan told the newspaper.

Investigators on the scene called Youngster Protective Services, and EMS responded to bring the youngster to a children’s hospital.

According to the announcement, the woman was taken to a Clarence police station and arrested on suspicion of child endangerment.

It was not immediately clear whether the lady was released on bond Friday.

To protect the child’s identity, USA TODAY will not name the lady.

Doctors: the Child’s Ribs Had Been Shattered for at Least Ten Days

Doctors at the hospital determined the baby had bruising on his face and body, as well as two fractured ribs that were in the healing process, which could indicate the baby’s ribs had broken anywhere from 10 days to two weeks before being seen by medical personnel, according to police.

In an interview with authorities regarding the injuries, the woman stated that the infant fell down stairs between late December 2023 and early January 2024. The woman added that she did not seek medical attention.