No prison time for Indiana dentist, wife accused of locking child in cage

CRAWFORD COUNTY, Ind. (WXIN) – An Indiana dentist and his wife accused of locking their child in a cage will not serve time in prison.

Aimee and Alan Friz are accused of locking their daughter inside a cage at night and possibly at other times. According to court documents, they withheld food, water and sanitary facilities from her.

Their trial was scheduled for March, but it was settled in Crawford Circuit Court on Friday with a plea agreement.

Alan Friz was charged with 11 counts of criminal confinement, 11 counts of neglect, and four counts of sexual misconduct with a minor. Aimee Friz was charged with 11 counts of criminal confinement and 11 counts of neglect. All charges were felonies.

All charges were dismissed except two counts of neglect of a dependent with the convictions changed from Level 6 felonies to Class A misdemeanors. They were sentenced to two years of probation.

The couple was arrested in October 2017. Authorities responded to their Dubois County home on a report of a “juvenile that was out of control.” They interviewed the girl with assistance from the prosecutor’s office.

Police received a search warrant for the home and found a closet area of a bedroom that was converted into a lockable cage.

The couple was scheduled to be tried in Dubois County, but they argued they wouldn’t get a fair trial there. The case was moved to Crawford Court.

Their first year of probation is to be supervised, and the remaining time will be unsupervised probation.