Globe

LITTLE BOY KEPT IN DOG KENNEL! Parents & aunt face abuse rap after shivering kid found in pen

Caged for decades after peddling Navy secrets in sandwich

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ANEGLECTED nineyear-old boy was rescued from a padlocked kennel in a North Carolina yard — where he was forced to live for more than six months! — and now his coldhearte­d kin are in the doghouse for child abuse, lawmen say.

According to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, deputies freed the barefoot boy, who was shivering in below-freezing temperatur­es, after a neighbor spotted him and called for help. The dogooder, whose identity was not released by authoritie­s, says he thought the child was kept there overnight — but the youngster claims he’d lived outdoors since April because he didn’t have a room in the family home!

Stepmom Sarah Starr, biological father Jonathan Starr and Shelley Barnes — Sarah’s aunt and the owner of the property — were arrested.

According to a warrant, when officers forced their way into the residence and confronted the wicked stepmother, she made a “spontaneou­s utterance that she did

not know the combinatio­n to the lock on the kennel, only the aunt knew it.”

Cops say they saved the child, who was only wearing a T-shirt and jeans — even though it was 28 degrees and there was frost on the ground. A battery-operated light was found buried under the straw in the pen, as well as additional clothing, which was all damp.

The boy was transporte­d to a local hospital for evaluation and released on the same day. Officers also took custody of four other children living in the house, who were aged 8, 7, 4 and eight months. All five

kids are now under the care of social services.

The three adults were charged with felony and misdemeano­r child abuse, as well as false imprisonme­nt. Authoritie­s say Barnes also faces weapons and drug charges after a semi-automatic pistol, a marijuana plant and more than 12 pounds of a “leafy green substance” were found on the property.

A local resident, who declined to give her name, confides, “It kind of hit my heart, like I kind of want to cry. Why would someone actually do that?”

A NAVAL engineer and his conniving wife — who plotted to sell top secret plans for U.S. nuclear submarines hidden in a peanut butter sandwich — have been locked up for decades!

Nutty Maryland turncoats Jonathan and Diana Toebbe finally learned their fate after each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to communicat­e restricted data. Judge Gina Groh sentenced Jonathan to over 19 years behind bars — but socked his schoolteac­her spouse with nearly 22 years in the clink!

Though the disgraced military man, 44, had security clearance and access to the sensitive info, Groh says devious Diana, 46, was “driving the bus” as the mastermind of the plot!

As GLOBE has reported, authoritie­s cracked the case when the duo handed over prized data to an FBI agent posing as a spy from Brazil!

The feds claim they paid the engineer, who worked at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in West Mifflin, Pa., $100,000 in cryptocurr­ency for passing nuclear propulsion secrets in plastic-coated SD memory cards hidden in a Band-Aid wrapper, a pack of chewing gum and the sandwich. The priceless info involved uranium-powered submarine engines, which allow the vessels to stay under water and nearly undetectab­le for months at a time!

FBI bigwig Alan E. Kohler Jr. blasted the greedy couple’s actions as a “betrayal” of the American people!

 ?? ?? SHELLEY BARNES
The aunt of stepmother Sarah was also hit with weapons and drug charges
JONATHAN STARR
The boy’s father. The youngster told police there was no room for him in the home
SARAH STARR
Cops say the child’s stepmom told them she didn’t know the kennel lock combinatio­n
SHELLEY BARNES The aunt of stepmother Sarah was also hit with weapons and drug charges JONATHAN STARR The boy’s father. The youngster told police there was no room for him in the home SARAH STARR Cops say the child’s stepmom told them she didn’t know the kennel lock combinatio­n
 ?? ?? The caged nine-year-old said he’d lived outdoors for months, police say
The caged nine-year-old said he’d lived outdoors for months, police say
 ?? ??
 ?? ?? The couple tried to pass data about nuclear subs — in a peanut butter snack
Jonathan Toebbe
Diana Toebbe
The couple tried to pass data about nuclear subs — in a peanut butter snack Jonathan Toebbe Diana Toebbe

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