Child ‘lived in hell,’ Lebanon County DA says | New charges filed
SWATARA TOWNSHIP, Pa. —
Three people face additional charges after motorists found a naked 5-year-old, clutching a blanket, wandering next to a creek and a major road in Lebanon County earlier this month.
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“This little boy lived in hell. He lived locked behind caged bars, able to look out at his family but not live a real life. He existed in pure filth. His mother and grandmother failed him. Every second of every minute of every day, that child deserved a better life and maternal love. Our Office intends to fully prosecute these heinous criminals and hold them fully accountable for the abuse. It’s a sad reality that their prison cells will be far cleaner and far more accommodating than the living conditions they intentionally created for that little boy,” said District Attorney Pier Hess Graf.
Pennsylvania State Police had already charged Stephanie Schaffner, 42, Jade Shuey, 21, and Tucker Heagy, 21, with endangering the welfare of a child. On Wednesday, the DA added charges of aggravated assault of a child, unlawful restraint and conspiracy to commit each crime charged.
The child was found around 7:25 a.m. on July 10 in the area of Quarry Road, South Lancaster Street and the Swatara Creek in Swatara Township. The boy was nonverbal and could not tell people where he lived.
The investigation: ‘No room fit for human habitation’
Graf released the following information about the state police investigation that happened after the child was found.
Pennsylvania State Police responded and opened an investigation after the child was found wandering near a creek and major road, according to the filing.Troopers determined the child lived nearby at a home on North Poplar Street in Swatara Township.Police said they found a car door open and a door to the residence open.Troopers announced themselves at the doorway and asked any adult to identify the child but no one respondedTroopers entered the home and found Schaffner, Heagy and a 16-year-old juvenile inside. They admitted the child lived in the home.Investigators determined Schaffner was the child’s biological grandmother, the 16-year-old was Schaffner’s daughter, and Heagy was the juvenile’s paramour.Police later learned the child’s biological mother, Jade Shuey, also lived there but had left the night before, along with the child.Troopers described the home as in deplorable condition, with flies, cats, cigarette butts, beer bottles, garbage and a strong odor of urine and rotten food.Police said the indoor refrigerator was unusable and filthy, and the only usable fridge was on the porch.Investigators said no room in the home was fit for human habitation.The child’s bedroom was the most disturbing area, according to the filing. Police said the defendants had caged the child’s bedroom door with a gate reinforced by zip ties, string and duct tape, and nailed boards above it to keep the child from climbing out, according to the filing.Inside, investigators found a mattress on the floor, a single blanket, an exposed box spring, and walls covered with drawings, dirt and feces.Police said the floor was covered with trash, filthy toys, feces and urine, and the windows were covered with cardboard from the outside.Detectives also found the child’s removed carpet in the basement, balled up and soaked with the smell of urine and feces, according to the filing.Suspects are interviewed
Police interviewed all three suspects and said they all admitted that the mother, Shuey, would often leave the child for “substantial periods of time” and expected her mother and her sister to care for her son.
“They stated the child/victim did not communicate verbally, would break out of his room when possible, and resisted clothing. All three (3) Defendants admitted to caging the child in his room. All three (3) Defendants admitted they caged the child/victim for days at a time and often did not allow him out to use the bathroom. Removing the cage required the dismemberment of zip ties. The child/victim previously broke the gate in attempts to break free,” a statement from the DA said.