Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – DeWitt Police have arrested a woman who they say kept her 3-year-old son locked in his room for up to 22 hours a day in unsanitary conditions.
According to court documents, when the child was found, his bed, floor, and walls were covered in fecal matter and urine. A caseworker told police the child appeared to be hungry.
The child was removed from the home and police charged Heather Lacey, 25, of 212 E. James St., Syracuse, with unlawful imprisonment in the second degree and endangering the welfare of a child.
Police say the child was being treated that way for months, if not for his entire life. In addition, they say multiple people knew about the kind of treatment the child was receiving because Lacey had roommates and friends came and went from the residence.
Both DeWitt Police Youth Service and Child Protective Services cooperated in the investigation.
Lacey was arraigned and taken to the Justice Center in lieu of $5,000 cash bail or bond.
She is scheduled to appear in Town of DeWitt Court on Oct. 24, 2012.
