CHATSWORTH, Ga. — A Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) special agent says he’s seen nothing like it in 30 years in law enforcement.

An anonymous 911 call Thursday led to the discovery of two special needs children being kept in makeshift cages in a home in northern Murray County.

Stephanie Elizabeth Stone, 34, was charged with first-degree cruelty to children, false imprisonment and possession of a controlled substance. Officials said she is the mother of the children and the cages were in her home.

Wanda Sue Redfern, 49, was charged with first-degree cruelty to children and false imprisonment. She was described as a fiancee of one of Stone’s relatives by law enforcement officials. Both women are being held in the Murray County jail. No bond has been set.

GBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Ramey said more arrests are possible but did not elaborate.

In a press conference Friday morning at the Murray County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Gary Langford said at around 11 a.m. Thursday a deputy went to the home in response to a report of a child left alone. The deputy was met by an unidentified female and a female child, age 8.

“The deputy cleared the call as the child had adult supervision,” he said. “Later, around 3:15 p.m, another 911 call was received from the same caller who provided additional information.”

The deputy returned and was met this time by Redfern and the female child. The deputy gained Redfern’s consent to enter the home and found two small cages inside the bedroom area. Inside one of the cages was an 11-year-old boy.

Ramey said both cages were makeshift affairs. The one the boy was found in was made of two metal twin-bed frames held together by wires and plastic zip ties. The other was made of a wooden bed frame with additional wood added to it.

Ramey said the boy was “calm but ready to get out of the cage.”

He said both children were in “relatively good condition” and were turned over to the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). They were to be checked out by health care professionals on Friday. Officials said that before Thursday there were no records of law enforcement calls to the home.

Ramey said some parts of the house were “OK,” but the area where the cages were was “less than anyone would want to live in.” He did not elaborate.

Ramey said both children were special needs but did not specify their exact conditions.

Ramey said DFCS had been involved with the family earlier but that case had been closed in June. He did not specify how the family had come to the division’s attention.

He said the current case is still under investigation but it appears the children had been kept in the cages “for some period of time.” He said it’s possible they had been in the cages since June.

Officials said they do not know who made the phone calls tipping off law enforcement to the situation. They said the children’s father does not live at the Bahamas Drive residence and has been made aware of the situation.

“It was an anonymous phone call. We are following up, trying to determine the relationship (between the caller and the family),” Ramey said.

Neighbor Elaine Roberts said she knew the family had children because she saw their toys out in the yard but she’s never actually seen the children.

“I don’t think I’ve even seen the school bus stop there,” she said.

She said she’d never seen any law enforcement at the home until Thursday.

“Two children being kept in cages so close to me. I don’t know what to say,” she said.

Charles Oliver writes for the Dalton (Ga.) Daily Citizen.