MD Couple Charged After Child Found Locked In Rodent-Infested Closet: Deputies

CALLAWAY, MD — A St. Mary's County couple is facing child abuse and neglect charges after deputies said they found a 4-year-old child locked inside a closet where they were kept for about 12 hours each day.

Deputies responded to the 20000 block of Roh Ranch Lane in Callaway on Monday after receiving a report that a child was being held in a closet, according to the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office.

After entering the home, deputies found a closet door secured with a bungee cord. Inside, they located the 4-year-old, who was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Investigators later executed a search warrant for the home. The sheriff's office described the closet as being in deplorable condition. It also had no working light or edible food.

According to charging documents obtained by WJZ, the home where the boy was found was infested with rodents and roaches. Inside the closet, deputies said the floor was covered in refuse, food wrappers, dirty diapers and feces.

Detectives determined that three adults and five children lived in the residence. The four other children did not require medical attention.

According to investigators, the child's mother, 28-year-old Kaylynn Nicole Moore, told deputies the child was kept in the closet for approximately 12 hours each day. Her boyfriend, 27-year-old James Earl Stone, admitted to securing the closet door with the bungee cord, deputies said.

Moore and Stone were each charged with child abuse and seven counts of child neglect. They were taken to the St. Mary's County Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Leonardtown to await bond hearings.