Deputies rescue beaten ‘sex slave’ kept in cage; 5 arrested

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Richmond County deputies this week rescued a woman who’d been locked naked in a dog cage at an Augusta mobile home littered with feces, authorities said.

Several people were arrested in connection with the scheme.

The woman was discovered at the home when a former resident went there to pick up some property he’d left.

“Upon entering the room he observed an unknown light brown-skinned female that was naked, beaten severely, and currently locked in a dog cage,” deputies wrote in an incident report.

The caged woman asked the man for help.

Deputies said Shawna Powell, 32, one of the people ultimately arrested, told the man: ”She stole a bunch of stuff from me so she is going to be my sex slave and I am going to pimp her out until she pays it off.”

The man “stated that he heard a person state that multiple unknown individuals were en route to ‘have their way with her,’” deputies wrote.

Just after 10:20 p.m. Tuesday, deputies went to the residence in the 2200 block of Nellie Drive and told the occupants to come out.

One person eventually came out, after which deputies went inside to clear the mobile home.

They said they found the dog cage as well as “human and animal feces to be in different rooms.”

Deputies eventually found the victim, but she was reluctant to come out of the bedroom toward them.

“The unknown female also appeared to be injured and emotionally distraught at this time as well,” deputies wrote.

Deputies eventually were able to get the woman to exit the room, and they could see injuries to her facial areas, including a severely swollen and bruised eye.

She was picked up by an ambulance.

Deputies said they arrested Powell along with Anjelika Figueroa, 29; DeMichael Dawson, 24; Savannah Piazzi,18; and Dawson Weston, 19.

All five have been charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a crime, deputies said.

Dawson was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to authorities.

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