Boy Found Wandering in Street
On Friday just before 7:30 a.m., a naked five-year-old boy was found wandering in the middle of a street in Swatara Township, Pennsylvania. He was clutching a green, urine-stained blanket. Good Samaritans stopped the child and stayed with him until first responders arrived. He was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation, according to WGAL.
Police Discover Horrific Conditions
Officers traced the boy to a home a few blocks away. Inside, they found hoarder conditions with trash throughout, hundreds of flies, and limited room to move due to clutter. The boy's bedroom had a baby gate attached to the door, along with multiple zip ties, duct tape, and wooden boards drilled from the outside to prevent escape, police said.
Boy Locked in Room 90% of Time
Investigators learned the boy spent about 90 percent of his time locked inside the boarded-up room. He was fed granola bars, cereal, juice, milk, and water through slots in the baby gates. The three adults identified as his guardians—Tucker Heagy, 20; Jade Shuey, 21; and Stephanie Schaffner, 42—bathed him only once a week, sometimes longer.
Adults Confess to Restraints
Shuey told police the boy could go up to three days without being let out, forcing him to relieve himself inside the room and spread excrement on the walls. Heagy confessed that to release the boy, they had to cut five to ten zip ties off the gates, then replace them with new ties and duct tape each time. The fasteners were bought in bulk from a local store.
Home Condemned, Trio Charged
The unsanitary conditions led town code enforcement to condemn the home. Heagy, Shuey, and Schaffner were arrested and charged with one count each of endangering the welfare of children, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
