And new tonight out of Lebanon County, 3 people are facing charges after *** 5-year-old boy was found naked in the street after escaping what’s being called hoarder-like and unsanitary conditions. Now the child was found at 7:30 Friday morning by people in the area walking in the middle of Quarry Road, South Lanster Street in Soterra Township, and they were able to hold him until troopers and EMS arrived. Now, according to state police charging. Documents. The boy escaped from *** home nearby, climbing over the baby gate that was zip tied and duct taped to the outside of his room’s door frame. 20 year old Tucker Hagy, twenty-one-year-old Jade Shuey, and forty-two-year-old Stephanie Schaffner are listed as guardians responsible for the child. They were taken into custody, charged with endangering the welfare of *** child. The boy was taken to Wellspan Good Samaritan Hospital for medical evaluation.
Naked 5-year-old escapes Lebanon County home with feces-smeared walls, hundreds of flies and zip-tied gate, police say
Updated: 11:31 AM EDT Jul 14, 2026
Three people were arrested after a 5-year-old boy was found naked walking in the middle of a road in Lebanon County, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Troopers from the Jonestown station said they were called to Quarry Road and South Lancaster Street in Swatara Township at 7:29 a.m. on Friday, July 10, after a driver reported seeing the child alone in the roadway. According to the affidavit, the boy was found walking toward Little Swatara Creek wrapped in a green blanket that smelled like urine. He was later taken to WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital for evaluation. Boy escaped hoarding home, police sayInvestigators said troopers traced the child to a nearby home on North Poplar Street, where they found what they described as deplorable living conditions. “Hoarder conditions were observed throughout the house, with trash throughout, hundreds of flies observed, and limited room for maneuvering the house because of the influx of clutter,” Pennsylvania State Police said. Zip-tied baby gate, feces-smeared walls According to troopers, the boy’s bedroom had a baby gate zip-tied and duct-taped to the outside of the door frame. Police said there were also wood boards drilled above the gate to keep the child from escaping. Investigators said they also found feces smeared on the walls and bedroom window, a torn-up bed covered with food, trash on the floor, and hundreds of flies and children’s toys scattered throughout the room and house. Three chargedState police said the following people were arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of children: Tucker Heagy, 20, of Jonestown Jade Shuey, 21, of Lebanon Stephanie Schaffner, 42, of Lebanon Boy was kept in room for days, police say According to police, Shuey told investigators the boy spent about 90% of his day in the room and could sometimes remain there for up to three days without being let out. Shuey stated that the child was usually fed through the gate with cereal, granola bars, juice, milk and water. According to the affidavit, she also said he was sometimes bathed only once a week and occasionally went longer than a week without a bath. Police said Shuey also told investigators the boy would often urinate and defecate in the room and smear feces on the walls and window. Investigators said Heagy told police that each time the child was taken out of the room, about five to 10 zip ties had to be cut to open the gate, and new zip ties and duct tape were used to secure it again when the child was put back inside. According to the affidavit, the suspects bought zip ties in bulk from a local hardware store because so many were used. Home to be condemned, police sayOn July 10, police said a Swatara Township code enforcement officer responded to the home and reported that steps would be taken to condemn the property. According to the affidavit, concerns included an open breaker panel in the basement, exposed wiring and the unsanitary conditions throughout the residence, including an overwhelming smell of ammonia from cat urine and feces. The incident remains under investigation. Stay with WGAL for updates as we learn more. See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.
SWATARA TOWNSHIP, Pa. —
Three people were arrested after a 5-year-old boy was found naked walking in the middle of a road in Lebanon County, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
Troopers from the Jonestown station said they were called to Quarry Road and South Lancaster Street in Swatara Township at 7:29 a.m. on Friday, July 10, after a driver reported seeing the child alone in the roadway.
According to the affidavit, the boy was found walking toward Little Swatara Creek wrapped in a green blanket that smelled like urine. He was later taken to WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital for evaluation.
Boy escaped hoarding home, police say
Investigators said troopers traced the child to a nearby home on North Poplar Street, where they found what they described as deplorable living conditions.
“Hoarder conditions were observed throughout the house, with trash throughout, hundreds of flies observed, and limited room for maneuvering the house because of the influx of clutter,” Pennsylvania State Police said.
Zip-tied baby gate, feces-smeared walls
According to troopers, the boy’s bedroom had a baby gate zip-tied and duct-taped to the outside of the door frame. Police said there were also wood boards drilled above the gate to keep the child from escaping.
Investigators said they also found feces smeared on the walls and bedroom window, a torn-up bed covered with food, trash on the floor, and hundreds of flies and children’s toys scattered throughout the room and house.
Three charged
State police said the following people were arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of children:
Tucker Heagy, 20, of Jonestown Jade Shuey, 21, of Lebanon Stephanie Schaffner, 42, of Lebanon Boy was kept in room for days, police say
According to police, Shuey told investigators the boy spent about 90% of his day in the room and could sometimes remain there for up to three days without being let out.
Shuey stated that the child was usually fed through the gate with cereal, granola bars, juice, milk and water. According to the affidavit, she also said he was sometimes bathed only once a week and occasionally went longer than a week without a bath.
Police said Shuey also told investigators the boy would often urinate and defecate in the room and smear feces on the walls and window.
Investigators said Heagy told police that each time the child was taken out of the room, about five to 10 zip ties had to be cut to open the gate, and new zip ties and duct tape were used to secure it again when the child was put back inside.
According to the affidavit, the suspects bought zip ties in bulk from a local hardware store because so many were used.
Home to be condemned, police say
On July 10, police said a Swatara Township code enforcement officer responded to the home and reported that steps would be taken to condemn the property.
According to the affidavit, concerns included an open breaker panel in the basement, exposed wiring and the unsanitary conditions throughout the residence, including an overwhelming smell of ammonia from cat urine and feces.
The incident remains under investigation. Stay with WGAL for updates as we learn more.
See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.