Gloria Jane BrownA third woman has been charged in a case involving a child who was found inside a cage at a Chatsworth, Ga., home.
Gloria Jane Brown, 64, turned herself in at the Murray County, Ga., Jail on Tuesday, according to officials. Brown was charged with one count of false imprisonment and two counts of first-degree cruelty to children.
Two children and two makeshift cages were found at the home.
Officials at the Murray County Sheriff's Office were unable to say specifically how Brown is connected to the case.
Two other women, including the children's biological mother, already have been charged in the case investigated by local authorities and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Last week, the children's mother, 34-year-old Stephanie Elizabeth Stone, was charged with first-degree cruelty to children, false imprisonment and possession of a controlled substance. Another woman, Wanda Sue Redfern, 49, was charged with first-degree cruelty to children and false imprisonment.
Murray County deputies first responded around 11 a.m. Thursday to a 911 call at 530 Bahamas Drive to check a report of a child left alone. They were met by a woman later identified as Redfern and a small girl. Because the deputy found an adult with the child, he left.
But a second call from the same person around 3:15 p.m. later that day provided more information and triggered a closer check.
Deputies were again met by Redfern and the girl, and they entered the home where they found the two homemade cages - one empty and the other holding an 11-year-old boy.
A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent described the boy and girl as "special needs children" and said the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services had a case open with the family in the past year but closed that case in June.
The children were caged for "some period of time," but investigators couldn't say precisely how long the boy and girl were imprisoned, GBI officials said.
The boy was being held in a cage made from two stacked metal twin bed frames, combined with metal hinges and wire ties to hold it together.
The girl apparently was being kept in the other cage. It was made of wooden bed frame parts with wood shelving added and screws to hold it together.
Both children were said by officials to be in "good" shape on Friday.
Brown and Redfern each are being held on a bond of $25,000, and Stone's bond has been set at $27,500.
Staff writer Evan Hoopfer contributed to this story.
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.