A Pennsylvania couple was charged with a crime on Tuesday, following the death of the man's 12-year-old daughter due to abuse and malnutrition.
The Philadelphia Inquirer stated that Melinda Hoagland passed away shortly after her father, Rendell Hoagland, 52, contacted medics at their West Caln residence on Saturday. She weighed 50 pounds at the time of her death, and had six broken bones, cuts, bruises, and liver damage.
Rendell Hoagland and his girlfriend, Cindy Warren, 45, are accused of chaining his daughter to furniture and making her do extensive exercises as punishment. They also restricted her access to food and locked the pantry in the house, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
WCAU reported that investigators found cellphone footage showing the abuse suffered by Melinda Hoagland was both continuous and methodical.
“It was extreme and cruel, something no child should ever have to endure, and they subjected her to it for months,” said Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe.
On Saturday, Rendell Hoagland reportedly called 911 claiming that a tree knocked his daughter unconscious while she rode her bike. However, detectives determined that his story did not align with the girl’s extensive injuries, according to WNEP.
De Barrena-Sarobe also alleged that Melinda was pulled out of school late last year and attended virtual school. He claimed Warren’s 9-year-old son also lived in the home but she was not subjected to the abuse.
“She was virtually showing up on camera based on some of the videos that we reviewed, but she was shackled below from where the camera was,” he said.
Per The Philadelphia Inquirer, video footage showed Melinda Hogland performing exercises while restrained. She was also captured sleeping on the floor — shackled — without a pillow or blanket.
Rendell Hoagland and Cindy Warren are currently facing several accusations, including attempted criminal homicide, assault, and kidnapping. Their bond was set at $1 million each.
According to the Pocono Record, Warren was given a sentence in 2009 of three to seven years for endangering the welfare of a child. In 2007, McKinley Warren Jr. abused their 3-year-old son, causing a head injury that led to the death of his 2-year-old daughter. Warren was the stepmother of the deceased girl.
[Featured image: Melinda Hoagland/Courtesy Chester County District Attorney’s Office]