A dentist and his wife manage to avoid prison time after they were accused of locking their disabled daughter inside a cage without food and water. The child only has a pan to urinate every night.
This Indiana couple, Alan Friz and Aimee, managed to escape jail time after they allegedly locked their disabled daughter in a cage. According to reports, they denied her food and water. They did not allow her to use cleaning or even bathroom facilities. She only uses a pan if she needs to urinate at night. The couple pled guilty to neglecting a dependent in the Crawford Circuit Court in exchange for two years of probation. And also for the dismissal of the criminal confinement charges against them.
Alan was charged with sexual misconduct with a minor. But this was dismissed at the court hearing. The couple was also initially charged in Dubois County but their case was shifted to Crawford County after they argued that there is a possibility that they would not receive a fair trial at Dubois.
The prosecutor’s press release stated: “Although this plea clearly represents a lenient resolution for the defendants in light of the severity of the charges filed against them, this plea was offered with the input of the victim, her guardians, and others working closely with her.”
A plea agreement has been accepted for Alan and Aimee Friz, the Huntingburg dentist and his wife accused of confinement and neglect in October 2017. Each was convicted of two counts of misdemeanor neglect of a dependent and sentenced to probation. https://t.co/mPdMatuhvj pic.twitter.com/PJAyKny7vn
— Dubois County Herald (@DuboisCoHerald) February 24, 2020
According to the Dubois County Herald, the dentist and his wife were initially arrested in October 2017. The authorities received a report of “juvenile that was out of control.” When they arrived at the residence, they found that the wife “Aimee” had fought with someone else inside the house. The man had struck her with a cane. The police then questioned Aimee and explained that the child was mentally disabled. They diagnosed her online and never sought advice from a doctor. Aimee claimed that the child threatened to murder her and her unborn baby. She also said that the family was already looking for ways to treat her unspecified mental health problems.
At that time, Sheriff Deputy Jesus Monrrez from Dubois County wrote in a cause arrest affidavit saying, “The cage appeared to be an old closet. It appeared that they converted the old closet into a cage. The opening of the cell was enclosed with 2x4s and wood sheets. They gave her a pan so she could use it to go to the bathroom. It was 4×8 in size with a mattress.” He added that she was “locked in at night and let back out in the morning.”
The authorities also stated that they issued a search warrant for the couple’s home. This is when they discovered the cage. According to the police, the couple kept their teenage child in this 4X8 feet cage. They made this out of their old closet.
During the interrogation, the police also questioned the teenager. She alleged that she was spending her nights inside the cage. Her parents would lock her in t night and anytime during the day if Aimee is not home. She would be left with nothing but a pan for her to use if she wants to urinate.
Prosecutor Anthony D. Quinn stated that they felt that it is important that they close the case as soon as possible so the allegedly abused teenager can move on with her life.
