Mom, grandma kept teen in cage to ‘control her’ before she died, Arizona officials say

A grandmother of a 13-year-old girl was accused of keeping her in a cage before she died, Arizona officials said.

On Jan. 20, Tempe officers arrived at the home of Virginia Lujan after she reported that her granddaughter wasn’t breathing, police told 12 News.

The girl was rushed to the hospital where she died the next morning, according to ABC 15.

After the girl’s death, police investigated the home and found a makeshift cage filled with feces, according to AZ Family.

Lujan and the girl’s mother, Jami Hodges, told police they had kept the teen in a cage to “control her,” police told 12 News.

The girl’s body had many sores and bruises in different stages of healing, police told ABC 15.

Lujan told police the girl had fallen down the stairs but she didn’t call 911 because she thought she’d be fine, officers told 12 News.

Hodges and Lujan were both arrested before Hodges was released due to pending charges, officials told AZ Family. Lujan faces felony child abuse charges, according to the outlet.

Tempe is about a 10-mile drive east of Phoenix.

This story was originally published January 23, 2025 at 12:04 PM with the headline "Mom, grandma kept teen in cage to ‘control her’ before she died, Arizona officials say."