A Texas woman has been arrested after a mentally disabled young woman was discovered locked in a dog kennel in her backyard. A neighbor, hearing her desperate cries, made the alarming find.
Candace “Candy” Thompson, 60, now faces several serious charges including aggravated kidnapping and assault, as well as offenses related to disability abuse, following this disturbing incident in Anson, Texas, on November 22, according to reports.
The neighbor, Justin Anderson, became concerned upon hearing a young woman pleading for help, specifically asking to use the bathroom.
“I kept hearing her scream, ‘I have to pee, I’m scared,’ and then I heard something like a popping noise, similar to a chain link fence,” Anderson recounted to a news outlet.
He captured footage on his phone that showed the woman, who was partially concealed by a tarp, inside the dog kennel.
“Officers arrived and found a 22-year-old female in the backyard,” Anson Police Chief Daniel Graziose stated in the news report.
In a bizarre twist, there were two other adult foster children present in the home when authorities showed up. Thompson, who has a history of fostering over 50 children with her late husband, a former police chief, apparently attempted to defend her actions.
One neighbor claims Thompson said she had let the young woman out because she was “urinating everywhere and making a mess.”
“It’s shocking what some people who care for individuals with intellectual disabilities do,” remarked another neighbor, Marcia Bailey. “I felt bad for the girl, but I’m really thankful Justin noticed.”
Currently, the victim is safe, and Thompson remains in custody.
“We take this matter very seriously in Anson, particularly when it involves our vulnerable citizens,” Chief Graziose emphasized.
