Insets: Michael Gibson and Angela Gibson (North Central Regional Jail). Background: The Harrison County Courthouse in West Virginia (Google Maps).
A West Virginia couple allegedly confined an 11-year-old boy inside a locked cage for hours and beat him with a paddle after he wet himself, authorities said.
Michael Edward Gibson, 44, faces charges of child neglect creating a substantial risk of death or injury and child abuse causing bodily injury. Angela Marie Gibson, 48, is charged with child neglect creating a substantial risk of death or injury, according to court records.
The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated the allegations with Child Protective Services, according to a criminal complaint obtained by local CBS affiliate WDTV.
Investigators reportedly found that the boy had multiple bruises in various stages of healing. He allegedly told police that Michael Gibson struck him with a paddle so forcefully that the pain lasted for days.
The child also said he had been confined in what he described as a “homemade bed that has four walls and a solid roof,” according to the complaint.
When deputies searched the home, they reportedly discovered a locked cage in the boy’s bedroom.
During an interview with detectives, the boy allegedly said he spent hours inside the cage and sometimes soiled himself because he had no other option. The complaint states that Michael Gibson would then repeatedly strike him with the paddle.
Authorities have not disclosed the relationship between the Gibsons and the child.
Michael Gibson was arrested on Sept. 4 and remains held at the North Central Regional Jail on a $300,000 bond. Angela Gibson was booked into the same facility on Sept. 8 and has a $150,000 bond. Both have a court hearing scheduled for Thursday.
The post Couple locked 11-year-old boy in cage for hours at a time and beat him with a paddle when he went to the bathroom on himself: Cops first appeared on Law & Crime.
