Pittsburgh-area mother accused of locking 6-year-old daughter in cage pleads guilty
BROWNSVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) — New details have emerged involving a Brownsville mother accused of locking her young daughter inside a dog crate and starving her.
The Fayette County district attorney tells KDKA-TV that Mimi Frost has pleaded guilty.
Frost accepted a general plea to all but one of the 156 charges brought against her. Her fate is now in the hands of a judge.
"We were prepared to proceed to trial."
Frost was set to go to trial on Monday in a Fayette County courtroom when, in a surprising move, she accepted a general plea and admitted her guilt.
Frost has been confined to the Fayette County Jail since her arrest in February, accused of starving, beating, and keeping her 6-year-old daughter zip-tied in a dog crate for hours on end.
"There was an offer made by our district attorney, and the offer was 50 to 100 years. It was not accepted," said Assistant District Attorney Michelle Kelley.
The child's father, Jacob Weight, was also arrested and faces the same charges. The couple's cases were consolidated in April, but Frost's trial was set to happen first.
Her sentence will be determined by a judge, according to Pennsylvania sentencing guidelines.
"Judges can sentence in the mitigating range, the standard range, or the aggravated range of the guidelines, and that's what the defendant decided to do rather than take the offer that was made and to take her chances with the judge," Kelley added.
Kelley told KDKA-TV that this is the worst case of child abuse she's seen. She said when the little girl arrived at the hospital, her body temperature was 88 degrees, adding it was a miracle she was alive.
When asked how the child was doing, Kelley smiled and said she was doing great.
"I was so happy when I saw a picture of her now. She's living the life she deserves right now. She's a happy, healthy little girl and we are so happy for her."
Frost will be sentenced next Tuesday. Jacob Weight will head to trial next year.
