PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Three people have been charged following the discovery of four malnourished mentally disabled adults chained to a boiler in a locked Philadelphia basement room.
Police say three men and a woman were found Saturday in a 15-by-15-foot room behind a steel door that was chained shut. They were taken to a hospital for treatment and listed in stable condition.
Police said Sunday that charges of criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, kidnapping, criminal trespass, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment and related offenses have been filed against 51-year-old Linda Ann Weston and 47-year-old Thomas Gregory of Philadelphia and 49-year-old Eddie Wright, listed as homeless but originally from Texas.
Officer Tanya Little says police suspect that the suspects were trying to make money through access to the victims’ Social Security or disability checks.
