Pennsylvania woman kept sister in man-made wooden cage, prosecutor alleges

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. (WITI) -- A Pennsylvania woman stands accused of keeping her sister in a manmade wooden cage with only a dirty mattress -- and providing little to no medical care.

False imprisonment and neglect charges were filed Jan. 15 against Leona Biser, 51, including neglect of a care-dependent person, abuse of a care-dependent person, recklessly endangering another person, unlawful restraint, and false imprisonment.

Prosecutors said Biser kept her sister, Loretta Lancaster, 53, in the manmade cell that sat in the home's living room.

“This defendant professed to be caring for her sister when, in fact, the home was in deplorable condition, had no running water, and the victim was not getting her prescribed medicines,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

After authorities discovered Lancaster, she was taken to the hospital for treatment of a urinary tract infection and Rhabdomyolysis, which is a breakdown of muscle that can be caused by infection.