Child Found Locked In Dog Kennel In North Carolina, Three Suspects Who Kept Them There Arrested

A child was found locked in a dog kennel in North Carolina on Oct. 19, Radar has learned.

According to the Davidson County Sheriff's Office, a child who was believed to be 9 or 10 years old was discovered in the dog kennel after the department received a call from a citizen a little before 7 a.m. at 160 Cress Road in Lexington, North Carolina.

Davidson County deputies responded to the situation and found a 9-year-old stuck in a kennel that was locked with a padlock. Officers forced the kennel open and took the child to EMS personnel who arrived on scene to assist them.

Once police secured the child, they forced their way into the home and located one woman, later identified as Sarah Starr, and two other children, who were taken to EMS personnel and found to have no injuries.

Detectives responded to the scene with a search warrant and executed it on the property. Following an investigation, police arrested Jonathan Starr and Sarah Starr and charged them with felony child abuse, misdemeanor child abuse and false imprisonment. Police later arrested Shelly Barnes and charged her with felony child abuse, misdemeanor child abuse, false imprisonment, possession of a firearm by a felon and maintaining a dwelling place for controlled substances.

All three were taken to the Davidson County Magistrate's Office, where they were the Starrs were placed on a $30,000 secured bond and Barnes was placed on a $60,000 secured bond. All three are scheduled for court in Lexington on Nov. 10, and they were taken to the Davidson County Jail.

The 9-year-old was taken to Brenner's Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and released the same day. All three children found at the home were put in the custody of Davidson County Social Services. Two other children who live at the residence were found safe at school, police say.