CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich — No windows. No blankets. No pillows. And at times, no food, locked inside a wooden box 3 feet wide and 4 feet deep.
Those are some of the conditions a 7-year-old Cedar Springs boy faced at the hands of his father and girlfriend inside their apartment, the Kent County Sheriff's Office said.
Court documents filed in the case show the boy's father, 47-year-old Michael Rus, admitted to the abuse.
Rus said he and his girlfriend Jessica Kilgore, 38, forced the boy to run, withheld food from him, and also forced him to stand outside in the cold as punishment.
The sheriff's office said in court documents both Rus and Kilgore were observed or admitted to striking the boy with open hands and closed fists.
They both are charged with unlawful imprisonment and child abuse 2nd degree. Unlawful imprisonment is punishable by a maximum of 15 years and/or $20,000 while child abuse is punishable by a maximum of 10 years.
Last week Network 180, a Kent County mental health service, reached out to Michigan Child Protective Services for help.
Deputies were then called to do a welfare check at the couple's apartment on S Main Street NE on Feb. 22 to check on the child.
Around 10:45 p.m. that night, deputies knocked on the door. The child's father, Michael Rus, opened the door to the makeshift room to show deputies where the boy was forced to spend as long as 9.5 hours a day.
The box extends upward but the walls don't touch the ceiling, the investigator said.
The door has a locking doorknob which is used to keep the child locked inside, authorities said in court documents.
The boy slept on a small piece of foam, about 36 inches by 26 inches, and it was about 4 inches thick. There were no blankets or pillows inside the box.
Deputies say the boy was taken to a hospital for an evaluation due to his condition and the state of the home.
He has been placed with care outside the home.
Deputies are reminding the public that Child Protective Services can be reached at 855-444-3911. You can also contact support resources at 211 if you are concerned about the well-being of a child.
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