SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV/Gray News) — A couple is facing a felony charge after police in Iowa said officers rescued a severely malnourished child who was locked in her bedroom without food, water or access to a restroom.
Brandon and Emily Myers, both of Sioux City, are charged with child endangerment causing injury.
Both suspects are currently being held in the Woodbury County Jail without bail.
According to court documents, Sioux City police officers responded to a South Rustin Street home Tuesday at 3:37 p.m. following reports of a missing juvenile.
When officers arrived, Brandon and Emily Myers identified themselves as the guardians of the child, who is a juvenile female with autism.
The two told police they last saw the girl in her bedroom the previous night, went to sleep around 4 a.m. and did not check on her again.
Officers quickly located the girl nearby and returned her to the residence.
Police at the scene noted that the child appeared “severely malnourished” and dehydrated. At the hospital, she weighed just 78 pounds.
Investigators said the girl told officers she climbed out of her bedroom window to find food.
According to police, she later reentered the house, retrieved food from the kitchen and then hid inside a van on the property while she “ate as much as she could.”
Officers later found numerous boxes of snacks inside the vehicle, including bananas and bagels, which the girl said she had eaten.
A search warrant executed at the home revealed extreme and neglectful living conditions.
According to court documents, officers located the girl’s bedroom and found a locking mechanism on the outside of the door. The door handle was installed backward to prevent her from exiting.
Additionally, screws had been installed on the window frame to keep it from being opened.
Inside the bedroom, police reported there was no source of food or water. Instead, officers found a plastic tote containing urine.
Officers also noted that the bedroom was approximately 10 to 15 degrees warmer than the rest of the house.
During a post-Miranda interview with investigators, one of the defendants admitted that the living conditions were not up to standards. The suspect also reportedly admitted to police that the girl is locked inside her bedroom every night from the outside, is not provided food or water and has to use a tub in the room to urinate and defecate.
The child was admitted to a local hospital for medical treatment.
Brandon and Emily Myers, both of Sioux City, are charged with child endangerment causing injury.
Both suspects are currently being held in the Woodbury County Jail without bail.
According to court documents, Sioux City police officers responded to a South Rustin Street home Tuesday at 3:37 p.m. following reports of a missing juvenile.
When officers arrived, Brandon and Emily Myers identified themselves as the guardians of the child, who is a juvenile female with autism.
The two told police they last saw the girl in her bedroom the previous night, went to sleep around 4 a.m. and did not check on her again.
Officers quickly located the girl nearby and returned her to the residence.
Police at the scene noted that the child appeared “severely malnourished” and dehydrated. At the hospital, she weighed just 78 pounds.
Investigators said the girl told officers she climbed out of her bedroom window to find food.
According to police, she later reentered the house, retrieved food from the kitchen and then hid inside a van on the property while she “ate as much as she could.”
Officers later found numerous boxes of snacks inside the vehicle, including bananas and bagels, which the girl said she had eaten.
A search warrant executed at the home revealed extreme and neglectful living conditions.
According to court documents, officers located the girl’s bedroom and found a locking mechanism on the outside of the door. The door handle was installed backward to prevent her from exiting.
Additionally, screws had been installed on the window frame to keep it from being opened.
Inside the bedroom, police reported there was no source of food or water. Instead, officers found a plastic tote containing urine.
Officers also noted that the bedroom was approximately 10 to 15 degrees warmer than the rest of the house.
During a post-Miranda interview with investigators, one of the defendants admitted that the living conditions were not up to standards. The suspect also reportedly admitted to police that the girl is locked inside her bedroom every night from the outside, is not provided food or water and has to use a tub in the room to urinate and defecate.
The child was admitted to a local hospital for medical treatment.
