‘Never seen anything like this,’ sheriff says of 3-year-old kept in small plywood box

A 3-year-old Indiana girl was left in a locked plywood box for extended periods of time, according to police in Pulaski County.

The girl was found inside the box in the early hours of Dec. 14, according to a press release from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, which obtained a search warrant for the home after receiving information about child abuse.

Nine adults now face charges for the incident, including three adults who have been charged with felony neglect of a dependent, according to WSBT. Six adults were charged with failure to report child abuse.

The child’s father, 25-year-old Christopher Short, is one of the people charged with a felony, according to WNDU.

Five other children were in the residence at the time. All six, including the 3-year-old, were given to child services.

“Never seen anything like this,” Sheriff Jeffrey Richwine told WNDU.

The grandparents of the girl and a 7-year-old boy said they were rarely allowed to see the children after their daughter died, according to WNDU.

Donna Short, 42, Christopher Short, 25, and Patricia Meeks, 18, have been charged with felony neglect of a dependent and Michael Meeks, 19, Thelma Meeks 38, Derrick Butala, 36, Shawn Griffin 18, Anna Senesac 19, and Timothy Senesac, 18, were charged with failure to report child abuse. All are residents of North Judson, Indiana.

This story was originally published December 20, 2016 at 8:59 PM with the headline "‘Never seen anything like this,’ sheriff says of 3-year-old kept in small plywood box."