Reports: Teen girl found, linked to 'dungeon' case

PHILADELPHIA?? A missing Florida girl has been found safe in Philadelphia in the wake of the arrest of three people who allegedly held mentally disabled adults captive in a basement.

The 15-year-old was reported missing from her West Palm Beach, Fla., home on July 4, WPBF reported.

According to NBC Philadelphia, the girl had last been seen with Gregory Thomas Jr., whose father was among those arrested over the weekend in connection with the basement captive case.

WPBF reported that arrangements were being made to return the girl to her home.

Meanwhile, police gave reporters access to the basement "dungeon" of the apartment where four mentally disabled adults were locked up.

Malnourished
The victims, a woman and three men, were found in a crawlspace that reeked of urine and was too shallow for an adult to stand up. There were mattresses and blankets, but the only food found was a container of orange juice. The adults shared their space with three dogs.

The four were all weak and malnourished when they were found. One was chained to the boiler.

Their imprisonment was part of a vast scheme ? stretching from Philadelphia to Norfolk, Virginia; West Palm Beach, Florida, and Texas ? to steal the monthly Social Security disability checks of defenseless and vulnerable people, authorities said.

Story: Police: Disabled victimized by theft scheme

Among the three arrested was the person accused of being the ringleader, Linda Ann Weston, who had been convicted of murder in a 1981 starvation death.

Detectives also found dozens of identity cards, power-of-attorney forms and other documents in the apartment, suggesting the theft scheme involved more than just the four captives.

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"Without a doubt. This is just the beginning of this investigation," Lt. Ray Evers said Monday. "We think she's been doing this for quite some time."

Kidnapping charge
How long, how much money the scheme brought in, how the disabled were deceived and how many people in all were victimized are still unclear, investigators said. The FBI has joined the investigation.

Weston, 51, was charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment and other offenses, with bail set at $2.5 million. Also arrested and jailed were the man she described as her boyfriend, 50-year-old Eddie "the Reverend Ed" Wright, and 47-year-old Gregory Thomas Sr.

"Talk about preying on the weak and weary," Evers said. "You can't get any lower than this person."

Video: Cops: Trio held disabled adults captive (on this page)

As of Monday, the defendants did not appear to have lawyers. They couldn't be reached for contact in jail.

The victims, ages 29 to 41, had the mental capacity of 10-year-olds, along with some physical disabilities, authorities said. One could barely see.

Three of them ? Tamara Breeden, Derwin McLemire and Herbert Knowles ? told KYW-TV on Monday that they were mistreated by Weston, Wright and Thomas.

Online dating site
Breeden, 29, told the TV station that she was hit on her head and showed where she said some of her teeth were knocked out.

Video: Another bizarre turn in Philadelphia 'dungeon' case (on this page)

McLemire, 41, said he met Weston through an online dating service and tried to escape but didn't get away "so they got me."

Knowles, 40, was shackled to the boiler and said he was hit by one of the two men arrested with Weston.

Neighbors said the defendants and the basement captives had arrived in an SUV from West Palm Beach, Fla., about two weeks ago, though it does not appear the victims spent the entire time in the basement.

NBC News, msnbc.com staff and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44941497/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

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