Couple Arrested For Child Abuse And False Imprisonment

You never know what's going on next door. Some folks in the Coldwell neighborhood in Shreveport got quite a surprise, when a sick, and malnourished teenager came to their door asking for food. The child had apparently been held against his will in the arrested women's house since march.

Investigators with the Shreveport Police Department’s Youth Services Bureau have arrested two women after a 14-year-old juvenile escaped their home and reached out to a neighbor for help.

 On Wednesday July 29, 2020, Shreveport Police patrol officers responded to Coldwell Street on reports of a welfare concern. Arriving officers made contact with a citizen who advised that a juvenile neighbor came to her residence in search of food. The neighbor was concerned due to his condition and appearance and called police. Police called the Shreveport Fire Department and the juvenile had to be transported to a local hospital for treatment.

 Detectives with the Youth Services Bureau and the Crime Scene Unit were summoned to the scene. During their preliminary investigation, they learned that the child had been locked in his room since March. Doctors and medical professionals described the juvenile’s condition as extremely malnourished. The child had apparently had very little food since March

 Detectives procured and executed a search warrant on the residence and were able to take two suspects, 30-year-old Kari Barber and 39-year-old Cassidy Dunn, into custody. Following interviews, investigators charged both women with one count each of 2^nd Degree Cruelty to a Juvenile and False Imprisonment. The investigation is ongoing.