Another person has been arrested in connection with a years-long case of a Margate teen who police say was abused, tortured and caged up for years by her legal guardians, records show.
Denaria Graham, 24, was arrested Wednesday on charges including aggravated child abuse, child neglect with great bodily harm and failure to report child abuse, Broward jail records showed.
Graham is at least the sixth suspect arrested in connection with the case involving a 15-year-old who police said was “maliciously tortured” and “willfully abused” for years.
Authorities said the teen was abused over the course of about 10 years and was found with “evidence of long-term trauma” on her body, including scars, bruising, insect bite marks and signs of malnutrition.
The victim said she slept in two closets throughout almost 10 years, and was allegedly locked in the closets, bound with zip ties, and provided only a bucket for her to use the bathroom in.
According to an arrest affidavit, Graham is a relative of the teen and lived at the home, and allegedly participated in, witnessed or knew of the abuse.
When authorities executed a search warrant at the home, they found a locking mechanism installed on the exterior of the closet door in Graham’s room, the affidavit said.
The teen said Graham was often in the room when she was caged in the closet and was responsible for her when the other adults were away and would only let her out of the closet to use the restroom, the affidavit said.
Graham appeared in court Thursday where a prosecutor said she had been evading arrest since a warrant was signed in 2023.
A defense attorney said she had surrendered herself on the warrant and has no prior criminal history. The judge ordered her held without bond.
In 2023, the teen’s legal guardians, Latricia Crawley and Benjamin Lockett, were arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse and child neglect with great bodily harm.
Shankyria Clayton, who was accused of participating in and witnessing the abuse, was also arrested, along with the victim’s cousin, Treaunshae Jashawn Gibbons.
Another member of the family who lived in the home, Horace Crawley, was also arrested on charges related to failing to register as a sex offender, records show.
The teen was placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families.