A Child Was Locked Inside WNY Home For 2 Years

A child was forcibly held inside a Western New York home for two years. The victim was locked inside the home for extended periods of home and denied their basic needs.

Photo by Trym Nilsen on Unsplash

Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announced that a 58-year-old woman was been sentenced in the case before State Supreme Court Justice Deborah A. Haendiges. The victim was threatened and forced to stay inside a Cheektowaga home in the bedroom or garage for long periods of time. The child was denied their basic necessities, including food, clothing, and access to a bathroom. The abuse happened over the course of more than two years. The victim was also physically abused by the couple, including being strangled to the point of losing consciousness.

Two People Sentenced For Forcibly Holding Child In Cheektowaga

Erie County Sheriff’s Office

A 58-year-old woman, Carol Steinagle of Cheektowaga, and her 44-year-old boyfriend, James K. McGonnell, also of Cheektowaga were sentenced on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. On August 31, 2020, both had been charged with:

- One count of Kidnapping in the First Degree
- One count of Kidnapping in the Second Degree
- Four counts of Assault in the Second Degree
- One count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child

"It is alleged that between November 2017 and January 2020, the defendants, while acting in concert with each other, abused a child in their home in the Town of Cheektowaga by implementing increasingly horrific forms of punishment against the victim. The defendants are accused of knowingly acting in a manner likely to be injurious to the physical, mental, and moral welfare of the child victim."

Both Steinagle and McGonnell, who were the child's caregivers, were each sentenced to 8 years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. They also must stay away from the victim via an order of protection until 2041.

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3 of New York’s Most Wanted Criminals Are From WNY

Have you seen any of New York State's 'Most Wanted Fugitives?' Three of them are from Western New York. They are considered armed and dangerous by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's Office of Special Investigations. Under no circumstances should you try to apprehend any of these fugitives. The investigator's contact info in each case is below each photo. Some of these fugitives have been on the run for over a year. Each is presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law.

1. Kahleel Dexter was born on April 30, 2001. He is a black male who weighs 225 pounds and stands 5 feet 11 inches tall. He was convicted of attempted armed robbery in Niagara Falls, NY. He is also known to spend time in Long Island, Albany, and the Buffalo area.

NY DOCCS

Scar Abdomen: stab wound/ Scar: top of head/ Tattoo left arm- MG/ISOM KING/ Tattoo right arm- MOB, BCB, GENERAL/ Chest- Heart Tattoo. Has been using aliases when he has encounters with police.

Please contact investigator Matthew Garber at 585-775-5111 or senior investigator Doug Rusinko at 585-303-9568 if you have any information about Dexter.