A Pennsylvania couple is facing a fresh set of serious charges after investigators say they kept a young boy confined inside a room barricaded with wood planks and zip ties, according to state police.
The case came to light on July 10, when troopers responded to a report of a naked 5-year-old boy walking alone in the middle of a road in Swatara Township, roughly 95 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The child was taken to a hospital for evaluation after witnesses flagged down authorities.
Investigators later traced the boy back to a nearby residence, which they described as being in “hoarder conditions,” filled with trash, clutter, and swarms of flies. Inside, one bedroom stood out. A baby gate had reportedly been fastened to the door frame with duct tape and zip ties, with wooden boards drilled above it to block any escape. Officers say the room, believed to belong to the child, contained smeared waste on the walls and window, a destroyed bed covered in food, scattered toys, and heavy insect activity.
Jade Shuey, 21, and her boyfriend, Tucker Heagy, 21, were initially charged with endangering the welfare of a child alongside 42-year-old Stephanie Schaffner, identified as the boy’s grandmother. Following a preliminary hearing this week, Shuey and Heagy now face additional counts, including aggravated assault on a victim under 13, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, and unlawful restraint of a minor.
Officials say Shuey admitted the boy spent the vast majority of his day in the room, at times for up to three days straight, and that he was fed through the gate and bathed only sporadically.
The Lebanon County District Attorney’s Office did not hold back in describing the conditions, calling the child’s living situation “pure filth” and vowing to pursue the strongest possible prosecution against those responsible.
Heagy’s next court date is set for August 6. No further hearings have been scheduled for the other two defendants at this time.