BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Parents wanted after 1 child found in cage, another with meth pipe

Megan Smith, 25, and Franklin “T.J.” Varney, 38, have been accused of child endangerment after a 3-year-old was found locked in a cage and a 2-year-old was found holding a meth pipe. (Courtesy Photo/Hocking County Sheriff’s Office)

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

ovp test

mLife Diagnostics LLC: Oral Fluid Drug Testing

Male shot by female at Shreveport apartment

Class to create biodiverse backyard

Rules for outbursts at Caddo School Board Meeting

Testing widget old system

Lorenzo shared

LOGAN, Ohio (WCMH) — Two Ohio parents face arrest warrants and a grandmother is in custody after deputies in Ohio found a 3-year-old in a cage and a 2-year-old holding a drug pipe Sunday during a search of a house, according to the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office.

HCSO says they conducted a search warrant at a residence during an investigation into sexual assault.

When authorities arrived at the home, they say they found a 3-year-old locked in a cage that was secured with zip ties and had bugs inside. A 2-year-old was then seen walking inside the house holding a meth pipe, law enforcement said.

Both children were taken into emergency custody.

The parents of the infants fled the residence due to their involvement in the sexual assault investigation, according to the sheriff’s office. The grandmother of the infants, 61-year-old Ella Webb, was arrested and charged with endangering children. Her cash surety bond was set at $200,000 after pleading not guilty.

Felony charges for endangering children were filed against the parents, Franklin “TJ” Varney, 38, and Megan Smith, 25. Nationwide arrest warrants were requested from the court.

“I very, very strongly encourage Mr. Varney and Ms. Smith to immediately surrender themselves to law enforcement. If they choose to run from their responsibilities, as they did tonight, the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office will tirelessly leverage every local, State, and Federal resource available to bring these two to justice,” said Hocking County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Caleb J. Moritz in a release.

Anyone with information on Varney or Smith is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 740-385-2131.

Midwest

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Mostly Cloudy

la

63°F Mostly Cloudy Feels like 63°
Wind
3 mph S
Humidity
85%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Overcast. Low 62F. Winds light and variable.
62°F Overcast. Low 62F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
2 mph E
Precip
4%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waning Gibbous