Pittsburgh-area parents accused of locking child in cage and starving her to stand trial
UNIONTOWN, Pa. (KDKA) — A Fayette County couple accused of locking their 6-year-old child in a cage and starving her was ordered to stand trial.
Jacob Weight and Mimi Frost of Brownsville appeared before a judge on Tuesday.
Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele made a powerful statement during the hearing that was backed up by the evidence presented. He said, "This was a heartbeat away from a homicide" and called it a "miracle" the little girl survived.
And for that, the district attorney said her parents should stand trial.
"We had a lot of great witnesses come up and tell us everything from the arrival to the scene to the horrors that were experienced in that house in the last several months," he said.
Weight and Frost will now have to answer for the crimes they are charged with in front of a jury of their peers.
Both are accused of starving their 6-year-old daughter for days on end while keeping her locked in a dog cage, zip-tied and naked, in their Sheridan Avenue home.
"She very easily could have died and almost died as a result of the abuse that she endured," Aubele said.
The victim did not take the stand on Tuesday, but the couple's nephew who lived in the home did. He testified that the little girl was locked in the cage every night and was forced to eat dog food. He added the other four children weren't.
He admitted to taking part in the torture out of fear of his uncle.
"I went to the next door neighbor and told the neighbor what was going on, and he went back and told my uncle," the nephew said. "My uncle told me if I tell again, I'm getting punched in the mouth. So, I didn't know who else to tell 'cause if I told someone else I was scared I was going to get hit. So, I didn't tell anyone else until I was alone with the CYS worker."
Before being taken back to the county jail, KDKA-TV asked the two accused if they had anything to say.
"I love my kids, and I always will," Weight said.
Frost did not answer.
The district attorney said the investigation into the case is ongoing, adding that additional charges may be considered depending on what the investigation finds.
