The Tate County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) said Child Protective Services alerted officials about a case of suspected child abuse on Tuesday.

Authorities became concerned after a child told their teacher at East Tate Elementary School that they were placed in a cage when they got in trouble, Fox13 reported.

TCSO officers carried out an investigation at the children’s home in the 400 block of Turner Road in Coldwater, and found a wire cage with a locking device. According to the network, deputies found evidence that at one point, children had been placed inside the cage.

Following the investigation, the children’s grandmother Brenda Faye Dennison, 51, and her partner Adrian Person LeSure, 52, were arrested.

Dennison and Person were then charged on Wednesday with two counts of child abuse, TCSO Sheriff Brad Lance told Fox13.

When neighbors were asked about the serious allegations, several told reporters that they could not believe it had happened.

LeSure’s cousin Anna King, who lives nearby, told the network: “I don’t think anyone would lock up their kids up in a cage.”

Newsweek has contacted the TCSD for comment.

According to the legal firm Mississippi Lawyers: “A person is guilty of child abuse when they emotionally, mentally, or physically harm a child.”

The firm also said: “While child neglect is usually prosecuted as a misdemeanor, child abuse is generally considered a felony in Mississippi. If you permit ongoing physical or sexual abuse of a child, you could face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.”

The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services advises people to call 911 or local law enforcement if they suspect a child is at immediate risk of death or serious harm.

The department also said to call the Mississippi Centralized Intake at 1-800-222-8000 or (601) 432-4570 if the suspected neglect happened outside the state but you do not know how to contact the authorities there.

Newsweek has previously reported on cases of child abuse that have happened across the U.S.

In February, a couple in Texas was charged with child endangerment after they allegedly tied their three children up and locked them in a cabinet for several days.

An affidavit obtained by KSAT-TV alleged Eric Jesus Martinez, 30, and Valerie Diaz, 34, tied up their children with zip ties in their San Antonio home and then locked them away for several days at a time.