A couple was arrested on multiple counts of child abuse after their 13-year-old daughter, displaying clear signs of physical abuse, was discovered alone in a grocery store parking lot.
Kacey V. Lilly, 42, and Edward Lilly, 43, face three counts of child abuse/neglect and two counts of child abuse/neglect with substantial bodily harm, according to official court documents.
The girl was found by a witness outside an Albertson’s grocery store on Village Center Circle at approximately 8 p.m. on September 16. The witness, alarmed by the girl’s condition and apparent malnutrition, alerted authorities.
Responding officers noted the girl’s injuries, including burns and cuts. The victim conveyed to police her escape from ongoing punishments at home that involved beatings and starvation.
The probable cause affidavit reveals the girl had been homeschooled since the age of eight and claimed she had no friends. She described an environment of regular punishment from her mother and stepfather for minor infractions.
During interrogation, Kacey Lilly purportedly confessed to disciplining the girl severely, including physical beatings, which were prompted by the child’s alleged behavior towards her stepfather. Both suspects are currently detained, awaiting legal proceedings.
The Las Vegas Police Department did not provide any further details.