Leimome Cheeks, 62, was charged with two counts of child endangerment after allegedly locking the two girls inside a pair of pet kennels. Footage of the incident was widely shared and re-uploaded online.
See video here.
According to a police affidavit, seen by Memphis broadcaster ABC, the children, aged 8 and 9, said that Cheeks was their grandmother and alleged that she told them to sit in the kennels because there was no room in the back of the car. While temperatures soared in the city, the girls told police there was no ventilation in the cages.
Memphis police confirmed the charges against Cheeks in a statement posted to Facebook. She was being held in Shelby County Jail on Sunday night.
Reader Comments
Why were there no family, friends, or neighbors grandma felt comfortable with to ask for help? She may be a fruitcake, but that would be all the more reason for helping out.