6-year-old held in dog crate, assaulted ‘multiple’ times, state police say; parents charged

FAYETTE COUNTY, Pa. — Two people are facing charges after an “extensive investigation” into the abuse of their 6-year-old child in Fayette County, state police announced Tuesday.

Jacob Weight Sr., 37, and Mimi Frost, 33, were both charged in Fayette County with aggravated assault, corruption of minors, strangulation, endangering the welfare of children and more.

A state police spokesperson said the investigation began when troopers were called to a home on Sheridan Avenue in Brownsville on Jan. 7, 2024, for an unresponsive child.

Weight called 911 after one of the other children in the home attempted to give the girl a bath, but the girl went limp, allegedly having a seizure. The District Attorney said Weight didn’t allow first responders into the home, and brought the girl out.

“When she got to Uniontown Hospital she was 88.7 degrees. She was hypothermic,” said Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele.

Responding troopers found the home in “deplorable condition,” noting dog feces, trash and urine throughout.

“Torture. Abuse. She was kept naked in a dog cage for a long period of time, withheld food and just suffered greatly,” Michael Aubele, Faye County District Attorney said.

Troopers interviewed all the children in the home and learned the 6-year-old was being held in a dog crate, zip-tied and beaten with a broom on multiple occasions.

“It’s reprehensible,” said Aubele. “When she got to Uniontown Hospital, she was 88.7 degrees. She was hypothermic. Hospital staff also noted numerous injuries consistent with child abuse.”

According to court documents, police found eight dogs and two cats in the home and described it as a “mad house.”

There was feces smeared on the floor, mattresses with no covers, and trash thrown about.

Aubele said girl was often locked in a dog cage.

“She was notified that the other children would be removed from her care, she told state police next time she would just let the child die,” Aubele said.

Mimi Frost did not answer Channel 11′s questions after police accused her and Weight of abusing their six-year-old girl and keeping her in a dog crate.

Before being taken to the county jail, Weight told Channel 11 he is innocent.

“I’m innocent. That’s it,” Weight said before being loaded into a state police cruiser to be taken to the county jail.

“Did you lock your daughter in the cage?” Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek asked Weight.

“No,” Weight responded.

“Why was she in the cage then?” Havranek asked. Weight did not respond.

Police found five other children living in the house.

Four were the couple’s kids, one was a nephew.

The nephew told police there was no heat in the house and that frost would zip-tie the little girl’s hands and feet, make her sleep in the dog cage and didn’t bathe her.

She’d never been enrolled in school.

“She was always treated different. She was always like the black sheep of the family, I guess you could say,” landlord Tim Cole said. “You would never guess by talking to them that this was going on. You’d have never guessed it in a million years.”

The District Attorney said the girl is recovering and all of the children have been removed from the home.

Frost and Weight are due in court on Feb. 20.

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