Children Trapped In ‘Crib Cage,’ Car Seat For Years As Teeth Rotted, Authorities Say

A Pennsylvania mother, grandmother, and uncle have been arrested after authorities alleged they kept two children locked inside their York County home for years. Ashley Cardona, 31, Lori Cardona, 53, and Michael Cardona, 29, were taken into custody on February 25, 2026, around two years after authorities found a 6-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl living in deplorable conditions.

According to court documents, the boy was being held all day in a cage made of cribs. When police arrived, they found a cage-like-structure measuring 51x31x60 inches that smelled of urine and contained fecal matter. The family allegedly fed the boy through the crib and refused to let him out.

Meanwhile, the girl was restrained in a car seat for 20 to 23 hours every day. As a result, she could not move properly and developed musculoskeletal issues. She also suffered from dental decay. Court documents said the children had not left the home for two years and stopped receiving medical and dental care in 2019.

The restraints caused developmental delay in both children. Authorities said Ashley Cardona showed signs of psychological issues. The case came to light when a child welfare agency agent visited the Newberry Township home multiple times in February 2024 and alerted the police department.

The children eventually received medical treatment and therapy, which improved their condition. They were later placed in foster care with a family in York. Meanwhile, the Newberry Township Police Department investigated the case for two years.

York County District Attorney Tim Barker explained the delay in arrests, “Since the children were safe, we had the ability where we did not need to press forward prematurely without the full scope of information. It was a lot of information to obtain a lot of information to digest.”

Police said a 10-year-old sibling of the two victims also suffered abuse, but authorities did not release details about the child's condition. “The investigation began in March 2024 and involved three child victims, ages 5, 6, and 10. The victims in this case sustained substantial physical and mental harm,” police said in a press release.

They added, “Furthermore, it was determined by a physician and member of the Child Protective Team at Penn State Health that the totality of the circumstances in this case meet the definition of child torture.”

Ashley Cardona faces multiple counts of aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, false imprisonment of a minor, and unlawful restraint of minor. Lori Cardona faces multiple counts of aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, false imprisonment of minor and unlawful restraint of minor.

Michael Cardona faces charges of multiple counts of false imprisonment of minor, unlawful restraint of minor, and endangering welfare of children. The three were arraigned, and bail was set at 250,000 dollars each. The trio will appear before the court for their preliminary hearings on March 11.