READING, Pa. (AP) — Police in eastern Pennsylvania said a woman had in her home not only dozens of animals running wild but for months kept an elderly man against his will.
Fifty-five-year-old Mary Lou Petrucci of Reading was charged Friday with holding 72-year-old Harold Scheaffer captive in her home.
Police said Scheaffer told them on Oct. 19 that Petrucci locked him in a room from July to September and fed him once a day.
Court documents indicate that they had dated but broke up shortly after Scheaffer moved in. Police say Scheaffer's daughter rescued him.
When Petrucci was arrested Friday, animal welfare agents removed six cats, two raccoons and a dog from her house. Police said Petrucci has been fined in the past for hoarding dozens of animals and for health code violations.
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