A 40-year-old man from northwest Arkansas was arrested after police found his 5-year-old girl child locked in a hidden section of a closet. The child was allegedly in a secret "small space" covered by a board that was nailed to a wall in the home of the suspect, John Thompson, USA Today reported.
John Thompson was charged with first-degree child endangerment and interference with court-ordered custody, the media outlet reported.
The police had come to the house with a search warrant to help the Arkansas Department of Human Services take custody of the girl, but the accused denied she was there. During the conversation, the police heard banging outside a wall.
"[Thompson] got down on his knees in a closet ... moved some boxes, and then had to pull a board that was nailed to the wall to get access to a small space ... to allow the child to come out," TPD said, according to the local station.
"The space the child was in might have been a triangle-shaped void ... possibly six to eight feet wide, going down to two to four feet wide," police said.
The girl was rescued and was unharmed, however, she appeared to be traumatised by the experience, the New York Post reported. The girl was placed in DHS custody.
"She was very emotional when she came out and pretty scared," Detective Keith Lindley told the newspaper. "He had instructed her not to make a sound or reveal she was back there."
John Thompson has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
