CHICAGO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A grandmother accused of keeping her 9-year-old granddaughter padlocked inside a dog kennel has been in police custody in U.S. Wisconsin State, local media reported Friday.
Responding to an elementary school teacher's complaint for possible child abuse, police and social workers investigated the house in Wind Lake, Wisconsin.
"During the investigation, it was learned that a 9-year-old juvenile was being held in a dog kennel at night and occasionally throughout the day at her residence," Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling wrote on his office's Facebook page.
It was also learned that the dog kennel was padlocked "to prevent the child from escaping."
A male, the house owner, was also detained by local police. Schmaling said the two face charges of false imprisonment and other counts.
"I was sickened at what I witnessed... this by far, is one of the most disturbing and heart-wrenching cases of child abuse I've seen, it doesn't get much worse than this," the sheriff added.
According to the sheriffs office, the wire cage that the girl used to be locked in is about 1.5 meters high, 1.2 meters long and 2.4 meters wide. It's set up inside the house.
The accused grandmother is apparently the caregiver and authorities are trying to find her biological parents. Now the girl has been placed into protective custody.
