Kids found living in crate in cave, mother arrested

A 24-year-old Missouri mother was arrested Saturday after her two children were found living in a wooden shipping crate in an underground cave in Kansas City. 

Brittany Mugrauer was charged Friday night with two counts of felony child endangerment, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

County detectives found the young children in an 8-by-10 foot crate with vehicle bench seats, small blankets, trash and wires. 

The investigators initially went into the cave serving a search warrant for a possible stolen car operation, when instead, they found the 4- and 6-year-olds. One child was using hands to eat from a dirty cup of dry ramen noodles, a detective wrote. 

The children were taken to an area hospital where they were evaluated, bathed and given clean clothes. 

Mugrauer admitted to leaving the chidren in the cave alone, and even told investigators that they had been living in the cave for several days. 

Contact Ron Paul Gavino at rgavino@reviewjournal.com. Find him on Twitter: @rp_gavino