2 Louisiana women accused of child cruelty after malnourished teen escapes home

SHREVEPORT, La. — Two Louisiana women are accused of child cruelty after a 14-year-old child escaped their home and sought help, authorities said.

Kari Barber, 30, of Shreveport, and Cassidy Dunn, 39, of Shreveport, were arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and false imprisonment, the Shreveport Times reported.

The arrests were announced Thursday in a news release by the Shreveport Police Department.

According to the police department’s Youth Services Bureau, officers responded after a neighbor said the teen came to her home asking for food, KTBS reported. The woman said she called authorities because she was concerned about the boy’s condition, the television station reported. The teen was taken to an area hospital for treatment, and doctors described his condition as “extremely malnourished,” the Times reported.

During their investigation, detectives learned the teen had been locked in a room since March, the newspaper reported.

Barber and Dunn were arrested after police obtained a search warrant, KTBS reported.

The case remains under investigation, KSLA reported.

Cox Media Group