DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. (AP) A west Georgia mother is jailed on charges of locking her 6-year-old son in a dog crate and dousing him with syrup and cat litter.



Authorities say 24-year-old Crystal Jean Hostetter of Douglasville and her girlfriend, 30-year-old Sarah Elizabeth McClain, are charged with child cruelty.



Douglasville police say the two women placed Hostetter's young son in the dog cage for about two hours and coated him with syrup and cat litter.



The Douglas County Sentinel reports evidence at a bond hearing shows the women told welfare workers the boy was being disciplined. It's unclear whether they have lawyers.



Authorities say the boy suffers from a psychological condition and doesn't like sticky things. While inside the cage, the child allegedly screamed, "Please don't kill me."



Neighbors heard and called police.