A woman accused of abusing her stepchildren and putting them in a dog cage was arrested in Lincoln Heights earlier this week, police confirmed to NBC Los Angeles on Friday.
Officers on Wednesday responded to the 3000 block of North Main Street following a report that two girls, ages 9 and 11, escaped from their apartment and said they were being kept in a dog cage, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Police say the girls claimed they were being punished by their stepmother, who allegedly put them in the cage for an unknown amount of time, and were afraid to return home.
The adult who called 911 brought the children inside and kept them until authorities arrived. The Los Angeles Fire Department transported the two girls to the hospital, and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services took them into their custody, police said.
Later that day, officers found the stepmother and arrested her for child abuse crimes, according to the LAPD. Her identity has not been released.
Investigators say the abuse has been ongoing since at least February, with the children being put in the cage off and on since then.
It’s unclear whether the children have any relationship with the adult who reported the incident.
The investigation is ongoing.