An Oklahoma grandmother allegedly drugged her grandchildren and locked them in a dog cage for hours when she wanted to go out alone, according to a year-long investigation into abuse allegations.
Davena Marx, 53, is accused of administering anti-psychotic drugs to her two children, whipping them with a belt, grinding her heels into their feet, and forcing them to exercise until they collapsed, according to local news reports.
She was charged with multiple counts of child abuse and neglect against her 8-year-old granddaughter and 6-year-old grandson, according to Local 12.
“Memaw sells drugs and uses them,” one of the children told investigators after being rescued from the alleged house of horrors in Warr Acres. “She makes us stay in the dog cage when she wants to go outside by herself.”
The young boy told investigators that Marx, whom he called “Memaw,” gave him Seroquel, a sleep-inducing drug used to treat schizophrenia that should only be taken by children over the age of 13.
Police said traces of the drug were discovered in both Marx’s grandson and granddaughter.
Last year, a social worker from the Department of Human Services conducted a welfare check after receiving a tip about abuse, according to local reports.
The granddaughter texted a social worker, “she is mean to us, she is very abusive,” according to OKCFOX.
The children were immediately removed from their home.
Officers took the children to a Safe Clinic, where they were examined and interviewed about the alleged abuse, according to Law and Crime.
According to the outlet, doctors discovered bruising on the granddaughter’s back that indicated she had been beaten with a belt.
The grandchildren claimed Marx physically and emotionally abused them, including forcing them to perform calisthenic exercises until their limbs gave out, according to the publication.
According to reports, a neighbor approached authorities after the children were rescued and informed them that he had seen the siblings digging around in garbage dumpsters looking for food.
Warr Acres Assistant Police Chief Jason Allen stated that Marx was arrested in May following extensive interviews with her grandchildren.
“The day we went out with them, there was enough to immediately remove the children, which is often not the case,” Allen told me.
According to reports, officials obtained a search warrant for Marx’s apartment and discovered marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a bottle of Alprazolam, and a bottle of Seroquel, all of which were prescribed to him.
“They did find a large dog cage in the residence,” says Allen. “They also did locate Seroquel, which was also one of the allegations that Seroquel had been given to the children as well.”
Marx took custody of her grandchildren in 2022, after their father was killed in a road rage incident, according to a GoFundMe post.
