Get open. >> He doesn't answer. He's just >> Hello, >> why do do you like the gate open? >> Yes. >> Um, their most autistic child whose name is is um basically caged into the downstairs living area. And when I say caged, caged. Um, he's naked. There's feces around. It's extremely messy in the area. and uh windows are boarded up. >> It's just about 12 p.m. in Henderson, Nevada, a quiet suburb outside Las Vegas, when police respond to what should have been a simple welfare check. But what they find, you won't believe it. And from here, this story only gets darker. Police and a welfare officer arrive at the suspect's door looking for answers about the kids. >> Horrifying secret. >> Jeffrey, >> sorry to wake you up, bud. What time did you go to bed? >> About 2 3 >> this morning? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, it's not horrible. You got some sleep. >> Yeah. >> Uh even though the kids might have kept you awake some. >> So, I'm just here uh because they asked me to be here. >> Okay. >> Based on the situation, the kids haven't been in school. One of them has been home homeschooled uh for the number of days that they haven't been in school. So, they got a few questions based on what they need to do as a school representative. Okay. >> For truency. Okay. Does that make sense? >> It sounds like you got some challenges here at the house. Um your wife and you have different, you know, schedules to probably try to handle the kids and stuff like that. That's great. It sounds like you're doing trying the hardest you can to make the situation work, right? >> So, but they still have a job to do based on, you know, their policies and >> students. Yes. We're just checking because they haven't been at school. Um >> um he's not in school today and >> um I think he has to go to school. um uh they're supposed to be in uh Nevada Learning Academy, but they haven't been, you know, enrolled. So, we just concerned to see, we just want to check that they're all okay. >> Um so that I can wait back to school. >> Um what concerned me was that I heard the banging and he said, "Let me out. Open the door." He thought it was police. He's like, "Please, let me out." So, but then when I asked if he's okay, he stay quiet. So, I just wouldn't assure that that I can see that he's okay. >> Oh, yeah. He's okay. >> And a kid like that, it makes sense that they would say, "Let me out." Police identify the man as 41-year-old Jeffrey Scandlin, a father of four. At first, welfare officers got nothing but silence after knocking over and over until that they heard banging and screaming inside the home and called the police. And trust me now, what they find next, it's beyond shocking, you know, because I'm sure you have, you know, like child kind of like >> Yeah. >> Do you mind do you mind if I come in? >> Yeah. Um, he's a big kid. >> I I can come in. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Um, >> he's half Samoan, so he's a big kid. >> Probably got some meat to him. >> Oh, yeah. >> Inside the home, things get dark fast. Officers find a metal cage in the living room. An actual cage holding an 11year-old. And surrounding it, trash everywhere and feces on the walls. Jeffrey doesn't waste time. He jumps in with an explanation you won't believe. >> Um, so, hey buddy. He basically we had to do this because it keeps him from kicking holes >> everywhere in the house. >> Does he have like uh he doesn't hit his head on the walls or anything like that? >> No. No. >> Okay. >> Um how about the other children then that are supposed to be in school? >> Yeah, they're upstairs. >> Are you able to get them down here? >> Yeah. >> Police double check that the other kids are doing okay. Still moving. still talking before a new investigator steps in with more questions about the little prisoner in the enclosure. >> Set up for him. >> Yeah, >> cuz Simone >> Yeah, kids. He's >> very strong. >> He just turned 11, but he's >> super strong. Yeah, I mean I he's ripped off cabinets, kicked holes. His room upstairs, he you know, he kicked a hole all the way through into my bedroom. Okay. >> You know, it's just he Yeah. >> Okay. >> So, to keep him from destroying the house, we try to keep him in here. >> He doesn't know how to unlock. >> No. >> Wow. >> Well, on this one, we had to uh we had to tie this up. And then on the other on the other door, we have a key lock. >> Okay. >> So, >> cuz Yeah. I mean, some some of them are very observant. >> Oh. Oh, dude. They are >> smart. Smart in ways that we don't expect sometimes. >> Oh, they're so sharp. Him him and my daughter, they're both autistic. So, >> so my concern as a safety officer >> is what happens in case of a fire. >> Uh, that that can be cut right there. It's just tied up. So, that door opens right up. >> Uh, and the other one has it locks. >> He could open it and yank it. >> Uh, no. Well, it's just tied up right now. It's just tied up. >> Right. Right. Right. >> But, I mean, technically >> Okay. >> It opens right up. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah. They were concerned about that when they installed it. >> Yeah. Yeah. And that's I mean that's what we're looking for is the safety of the situation. Did you want to go up and get the kids so we can >> Effrey says two of his children have autism but insists the 11-year-old is the only one who needs solitary confinement because of his strength. Then barely missing a beat, he jumps to explaining why the kid hasn't been in school. >> Hi baby. How did I go to school today? >> Uh they've been sick for about the last couple of days. Um, >> we're good. She doesn't She doesn't need to come all the way down or do you have questions or >> Uh, no. I don't know why she's looking. >> Yeah, she uh they've had the flu for about all last week. It started with him and they were throwing up and she caught it. He caught it. Whole house got it for me. So, >> okay. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. And that wasn't related to the school though that they had the flu. >> No. >> Okay. So commun communications it's communication is huge. All right. >> So no matter what call the school cuz I've even had like casinos call us to check on employees. >> Okay. >> Casinos adults check on their adults >> because the adults didn't call in sick or this or that and it's been 2 days. So we even have you know big corporations calling on adults employees to make sure they're okay. Okay. >> So big thing is communication. Call the school say hey she's not feeling well. stomach flu be offered 1 days, maybe 5 days or whatever. Same with whatever other children, so that way they have an understanding what's taking place. >> Jeffrey claims the whole family's been down with the flu, but let's be real, that's not exactly a hall pass for caging your kid. >> We're knocking. We're like, well, maybe they both share a car and go to work together or something, you know? So, >> yeah, I was passed out and didn't know if it was just >> right pounding or not. And So, his speech isn't uh very good right now, right? >> Yeah, it's not. >> Okay. >> When he was first born, I mean, he he didn't actually start talking till he was about four or 5 years old. Okay. >> We thought he was just going to be non-verbal for his whole life. >> Yeah. >> But, you know, he's been going to school and basically all all his verbal skills are basically just what he wants and then what he copies and hears off of the phone. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Cuz I tried to communicate through with him through the the window through the plywood just to make sure he was good. I'm like, "Hey, are you okay?" Hey, you know, everything good cuz he was >> bum. >> And of course, the way it sounds because of his size, I mean, it sounded horrible. >> But I was like, well, he's not screaming like he's in pain or anything like that. So, >> I was like, you know, hey, I don't see any like cause to be concerned in that aspect cuz he's yelling cuz, you know, some kids on the spectrum, that's what they do. >> Yeah. You know, I just like as long as he's, you know, if he's, you know, using his head like some of them do, as long as he has a helmet or something like that, you know, >> he loves using his feet to get >> Doesn't look like he's got any injuries or anything like that. So, that's good. >> Yeah. We've had to I mean, all this plywood we had to put up just so he doesn't break windows. >> Yeah. I noticed the one window was broke. >> Yeah. >> I mean, that made sense when I seen it. I'm like, you know, >> a quick chat outside confirms what we're all thinking. And let's just say things aren't exactly looking bright. Spoiler alert, nobody's buying the flu excuse. >> How long they've been here? >> Uh how long the kids have been? How long it's been like this? >> Okay. >> Um does he know the coming out? >> No, I didn't say nothing. >> Okay. I was about to start yelling in there and so I walked out and couple friends. >> Yeah, I was I was trying to play cool and keep them talking. horse I told uh I'll tell him the truency of mic right now I'm leaving the kid right there because I don't need to have the rustle 11-year-old autistic kid now >> while we're waiting for everything >> yeah I mean the the kid is that for me >> no tomorrow 11 >> oh they said cuz it's been about an hour >> yeah this is unit score four >> um But so since when the detectives come here, we'll we have everything set up so we can talk to them or I can talk to them as long as we have people in there. >> While detectives are on the way, the officer rings up CPS to give them the rundown. And trust me, this isn't the kind of bedtime story anyone wants to hear. >> So um the situation is uh we're probably going to we're going to need somebody in route here. So we got our SVU on the way. um their most autistic child whose name is is um basically caged into the downstairs living area. And when I say caged, caged. Um he's naked. There's feces around. It's extremely messy in the area. And uh windows are boarded up. So, when our SVU gets here, I don't know what children may need to go with you guys, but this is extremely autistic. Uh, very strong uh young boy because he he tear he tears apart the house. He's teared cupboards off the wall and stuff like that. He's just strong and very destructive as a child with his level of autis autism. He doesn't have I'm surprised he doesn't have a helmet on, you know, so he's not banging his head against things, but like he was pounding on the plywood that's over top of the windows and it was I mean, you could hear it from the street. I mean, just thuds, thuds, thuds, thuds. But when I was trying to ask him his name and stuff, he couldn't uh he's not cognitively able to answer questions. So, with that, I mean, he's been out of school for a while, I guess, and I mean, I could understand why in a sense. Um, I don't I mean, you'd almost have to have a specialist come into the house and meet with them. Um, they've been sick, though, too. It looks I I don't see that it doesn't appear that the kids look sick right now, but there was some sickness going around last week, like throwing up, flu kind of stuff. All four children are in the home. So, all the walls are are open, but across the main entrance into the room that he's in, it's like a metal fencing that goes from the floor to the ceiling, like um a bar, a metal black bars that would you would see probably like as a fence to go into the backyard or something like that in a sense. Yeah. I mean, it's not, you know, shabby looking. It looks like they had it installed semi-professionally or something. I mean, it's it's put in there well. It's just it's a cage. Uh, I didn't see a bed. I see like a a couch kind of thing. So, he's probably sleeping on the couch. Uh, well, without going in there and testing it, it looks like there's some on the walls and possibly on the floor. Uh, it doesn't look like he has direct access to a restroom. We haven't gone into the caged area. Um, SVU. When they get out here, I'm sure they're going to go through that whole thing. >> Soon after, the kid's mom pulls up and officers waste no time confronting her. Let's just say her reaction isn't exactly the model parent response they were hoping for. >> You, Misty? >> Yes. >> Hey, so we got called here. My name is Officer Boie. We got called here because the Clark County School District uh truency officers were tasked to come out here um to try to make contact, make sure the kids were okay. All right. So, that's why we came out here was to assist them. Um based on them not making contact, they could hear some screaming from the inside. >> So, that's where we went ahead and uh they called us to assist and try to figure out what the situation was. Okay. >> So, we came here um and their job was to make sure that the kids were okay cuz they haven't been in school, right? and nobody's been calling the school to give the updates. So, they weren't aware that the children were sick. >> So, your husband, we're talking to him right now. He informed us that they were sick and that was one reason why they were out of school. Um, but there was also concerns based on uh, you know, we heard the yelling from the inside, the pounding on the inside. You know, what's what's the real situation? Police identified the woman as 46-year-old Misty Scandlin, apparently juggling work and parenting. though from the looks of it, the kids part didn't make the top of her to-do list. >> Does that make sense? So that that brought up >> Yeah, we see that. We understand that and we know that's a challenge. Um so based on that uh going in there talking to your husband was asleep so it was hard to get him up. He finally came to the door. So we were talking to him trying to understand this the whole situation of everything. Does that make sense? >> So based on that we're here now. We're going to be sticking around for a little bit. We got a few more questions to ask and go from there. Does that make sense? Did you leave work early? >> All right. Well, thanks for coming out early. You have some questions, sir. >> All we're doing is uh just so you know, and I was letting your husband know, um the the pool, the whatever that is. So, it's a concern of ours, right? Um and then obviously the conditions of the house, you come in, you see kids, cage, kids, things everywhere, right? That's a concern of ours. So, right now, what we're waiting for, uh, one of our detectives will come down. We'll talk to you guys, u, make sure that everything's good. Everything's good, then we're going to get out of your hair. >> Um, and then we'll go from there. Okay. But obviously, when we open a door, you see a cage and a kid in and things everywhere in disarray, it can turn us. So, that's what we're going to figure out. That way, you're not like me. What are they doing? We're here. We're waiting on the detectives. I'm going to talk to you. We'll do an interview. As soon as the interview's done, we'll figure out where we go from there. Does that make sense? >> Okay. >> Hey, real quick. No weapons in your purse or in a house or anything like that. >> Where are they at? >> They're put away. >> Put away where? >> There might be some in the >> in the garage. They're not upstairs or anything. >> We have some upstairs. >> Are they Were they in the master bedroom? Okay. So, the the boys share these rooms up here, right? All right. They don't have access to that right now. Okay. >> Are they in a safe or they in something that they can't get access to? >> They're in our room immediately. >> In your room. >> Okay. >> Your room's locked. >> All right. Let's stay out of your room for now until the detectives get here and we go from there. I'm going to let Callahan know we're not Yep. >> Let everybody go through. >> Come on in. So, >> sorry it's a little warm up there. >> Now, back inside the house, investigators offer the suspects a little free advice. Kind of like unsolicited life coaching. >> Um, now that your wife's here and stuff like that, there's going to be a little bit more movement. Just want to make sure there wasn't any weapons. She mentioned about some shotguns upstairs, so we just asked that nobody go upstairs into the bedroom. Okay. >> So, um yeah, the double doors, uh we don't want anybody to go up there. There's a few shotguns that aren't necessarily they're they're not the gun's safe, right? They're just secured up there. So, that way, um we just it's just a safety thing that we have to go through. >> So, I understand. >> Yeah. Um when when did you have this installed then? >> Uh a few years ago. Probably 6 years ago. >> Oh, wow. Okay. So he was strong at a young age. >> Oh yeah. >> Yeah. >> Oh yeah. >> Jeez, buddy. That's just part of his stming. He just >> Oh yeah. Yeah. You know that's that's Yeah, I get it. So we actually have um >> you know the the good thing about this is we can start a conversation and stuff. We have a team right now they're called crisis response team and their main goal is to help people like this in the situation having these challenges and things like that no matter what the age is because they're you know from from kids all the way up to um you know 80-year-olds you know so when we uh and they also help with like suicidal people as well but um they they come and help and provide uh resources um try to help out with finding a program a you know, things that can help out the family cuz it's I know you've grew, he's grown up with it, you've grown up with him and stuff in this realm, >> but sometimes you get stuck in the same patterns and don't realize, you know, all of a sudden 2 years later there's more resources out there, but you haven't looked for resources for 2 years. Does that make sense? >> Yeah. >> So, there might be more resources out there that you're not even aware of. >> Okay? >> You know, um I know sometimes the schools are very good at helping with resources as well. Um but you know they have their protocols or people they work with and we have we're kind of independent in a sense that uh our team uh it's it's a newer team so it's probably why you haven't heard of it but they're they're newer at uh dealing with these situations or not with these situations dealing with helping people. So but they're able because they're new they're they're grabbing all this information everywhere they can come from. And one of the main officers has an adult child that's on the spectrum and so he he knows exactly what it's like, you know, between the different triggers and things like that. And they might grow out of a trigger and develop another trigger, you know, so they're a really good team that understand the situation and could help you with uh additional tools. >> While reinforcements are on the way, the officer basically runs a small talk with the suspects just to keep them talking. Meanwhile, the child in the enclosure is clearly not giving this whole setup a five-star Yelp review. >> The bubble guppies. >> Oh, the gate open. >> You have You beautiful voice. I love to hear you talk. Can you tell me something else? >> Gate open soon. >> Yes. >> Would that make you happy? Yeah. >> A I can't wait to make you happy, buddy. >> He doesn't dance loud. He's just >> Hello. You want it out of school? >> I know you want the gate open, baby. We're working on that right now. >> School, so it sounds like there's a >> drama with that being um >> um the master bedroom is up there right at the very top of the stairs to the left and there's the shotguns in there. So, um, if by chance I don't catch it, >> we're working on the gate right now, sweetheart. >> Take a peek inside. Windows boarded up, trash scattered, and investigators pointing out feces. Let's continue. >> Hey, can we talk about the words, you know? >> Yeah, the words, you know. >> You like the gate open? Why do do you like the gate open? >> Yes. >> Oh, do you like to be back here? >> Go back here. >> Here in this room. Do you like this room? >> Hey, buddy. Do Do you like this room or do you >> out? Yeah. [Music] You want the gate open? You like the gate open? >> Yeah. >> Soon. See you real soon. So, guess what? >> Guess what? >> Soon. Soon. Gate open. Yeah. Soon gate open. >> Gate open. >> Yeah. Soon. Soon enough, emergency crews show up and finally grant the 11year-old's wish. Freedom. No key required. >> Remember when we talked about gate open? >> Gate open. >> Gate open. That's right, bud. >> Soon. Gate open soon. >> You guys ready? >> We're ready, sir. >> And they're contained, right? >> Yes. >> Heads that way. A bed. >> Yeah, a bed. We're going to open gate and go bed. Open gate, sit bed. Open gate, sit bed. Open gate, sit bed. >> Battery level is low. >> Just wait. Hold on. Just wait one second. >> Yeah. Yeah. [Music] Be quiet. >> Ready to >> Yay! Here we go. Right to the >> Officers open the gate, get the boy out, and strap him onto a stretcher. Simple as that. They're going to take the kids away. >> We got the teddy bears. >> Oh my god. somebody just reach over. >> Yeah, we're going to we're going to if it's cool, we'll both go in the back with you guys. >> Cool. [Music] >> Jeffrey and Misty Scandlin didn't exactly win parents of the year. Instead, they were arrested and booked for child abuse and neglect. In the end, both plead guilty to misdemeanor child neglect and walked away with one year of probation.