Parents Arrested For Keeping Autistic Son in a Cage

A couple in California has been arrested for allegedly keeping their 11-year-old son inside a cage. Police responded to a tip Tuesday night, and when they arrived at the house they found a fairly large cage containing a mattress. Although the investigation has just begun, police believe the parents locked up their son as a way to control his occasional autism-related outbursts.

"Putting him in that cage may have been a way for them to try to, in their way, control what was going on," Lt. Bob Dunn tells a local news station. The police have yet to determine how long the boy had been kept in the cage, but they say that there were no initial signs of injuries or other abuse. Dunn hopes that, despite the tragic nature, some good can come from this case.

"Maybe this family will get some of the assistance that they need." Front Page