Police: Fayette County parents kept 6-year-old girl zip-tied in dog crate

BROWNSVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) -- A Fayette County couple is accused of abusing their 6-year-old daughter, allegedly starving her, beating her and keeping her zip-tied in a dog crate for hours on end. 

Jacob Weight and Mimi Frost of Brownsville were arrested Tuesday on charges of aggravated assault, strangulation, endangering the welfare of children and simple assault, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Tuesday. 

Frost and Weight were seen being walked out in handcuffs. Frost had nothing to say. Weight said, "I'm innocent, that's it." When asked if he locked his daughter in a cage, he said, "no."

Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said this is one of the worst cases against a child he's ever seen.

State police said their investigation began after they were dispatched to a home on Sheridan Avenue on Jan. 7 for reports of an unresponsive 6-year-old girl. When troopers arrived, they said they found deplorable conditions, with trash, urine and feces from the eight dogs living there throughout the house. 

After conducting interviews with several other kids in the home, troopers said they learned the girl was being held in a dog crate and was beaten multiple times. 

"Throughout our investigation, we realized that this little girl had suffered, for lack of a better way to put it, she had been tortured in that house. There were numerous abrasions on her body, open sores, she was believed to be septic," Aubele said.

The criminal complaint details the allegations of abuse, with one teenager telling investigators that Frost put the girl in the dog kennel naked and left her there overnight. There was no heat in the house, only space heaters, the teenager said. When the family left the house, the teenager said Frost zip-tied the girl's hands and feet together and locked the kennel. The teenager also told state police that Frost wouldn't feed the girl for days at a time.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim told a therapist that she slept every night in the dog cage and ate dog food. She told the therapist that Weight beat her and shot her in the legs with a BB gun. The parents are also accused of beating her with a broom handle when she had accidents.

A therapist reported to investigators that the victim said the abuse had been happening for a long time.

"We found evidence that this little girl had been in there, cage was zip-tied shut, there was a master lock on one side, she was unable to get out of the cage, apparently was punished anytime did get out of the cage to try to find food," Aubele said.

The victim's medical reports showed she had multiple skin abrasions, extensive bruising and open sores. Troopers said she also appeared to be malnourished. When she went to the hospital, doctors said she had severe hypothermia. The criminal complaint said the victim hadn't had routine pediatric care in three years and had been withheld from school. State police also wrote in the complaint, "It is stated multiple times in the report that she could have died as a result of this egregious abuse and neglect and if she returns to her current environment, she is highly likely to die of abuse and neglect."

"What her parents did to her was absolutely horrible, it's amazing that a human being could ever treat a child this way, and one of the worst parts about it is there were five other children in the house and 10 dogs and none of them were malnourished," Aubele said.

He said they believe several children in the home may have actively participated in the abuse.

Aubele said the parents will be brought to justice.

"I worked for CYS, and I can't imagine what this little girl suffered and it's just awful. This little girl by the grace of God is alive," he added.