Nevada Couple Arrested After Child with Autism Found in Homemade Jail Cell

Welfare Check Reveals Horrifying Conditions

• 🚨 A welfare check initiated by a school truancy officer over a child's absence from school uncovered a disturbing situation in a Henderson, Nevada home.
• 🏠 Officers, initially responding to assist the truancy officer, heard screaming and banging from inside the residence.
• ⛓️ Upon entering, police discovered an 11-year-old child with autism locked inside a "cage-like" structure in the living area.

Explanation for the Enclosure

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The child's father, Jeffrey Scanlan, explained the enclosure was built to prevent the child from destroying the house due to his strength and destructive tendencies.
• 🧱 The father stated the child had previously ripped off cabinets and kicked holes through walls.
• 🔒 The enclosure had a tied-up door and a key-locked door, with the father claiming the child did not know how to unlock them.

Conditions and Child's State

• 💩 Officers observed feces smeared on the floors and walls, along with piles of trash, indicating unsanitary conditions within the enclosure.
• 🗣️ The 11-year-old's speech was noted as not being very good, and he was not cognitively able to answer questions directly.
• 🔊 The child was heard pounding on plywood covering the windows, with the sounds audible from the street.

Parental Explanations and Concerns

• 🤒 The parents claimed the children had been sick with the flu, which was why they were absent from school, but acknowledged poor communication with the school.
• ⚠️ Investigators expressed concerns about the child's safety, particularly in the event of a fire, due to the enclosure's construction and locking mechanisms.
• 🔫 The mother, Misty Scanlan, mentioned shotguns were stored upstairs in the master bedroom, leading to safety precautions by the officers.

Arrest and Sentencing

• ⚖️ Both Jeffrey and Misty Scanlan were arrested and charged with child abuse and neglect.
• 📜 The couple later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor child neglect charge and were each sentenced to one year of probation.
• 🆘 Police offered resources and information about a crisis response team to help families facing similar challenges with children with autism.