THE BACKYARD CAGE: THE IMPRISONMENT OF A DISABLED DAUGHTER BY KANDY THOMPSON
There are moments that don’t just expose a crime — they expose a truth someone has lived with for far too long. In Anson, Texas, a single video ripped the curtain back on one of those truths. It began with a scream that carried across a quiet neighborhood. A scream filled with panic and the kind of fear that makes your stomach flip. It was the sound of a 22-year-old disabled woman crying out from inside a dog kennel while her own mother — 60-year-old Kandy Thompson — stood just feet away, arguing with a neighbor who finally stepped in.
This wasn’t a case uncovered through months of investigation or buried in paperwork. This was a crime caught in real time, on a cellphone. The neighbor who hit “record” didn’t expect to witness what he did. He didn’t expect to hear those screams, or see a grown woman curled up inside a kennel meant for a large dog, desperate to be let out. But he did. And he refused to stay silent.
The confrontation captured on video shows Thompson defending herself, dismissing concerns, and acting as if she were correcting misbehavior, not imprisoning her child. Meanwhile, her daughter — identified by several social media users as “Maya” — cries, screams, and begs in the background. That video spread like wildfire, igniting horror, anger, and heartbreak across the country.
People online didn’t just react to the footage — they began sharing their own experiences and suspicions. Some neighbors claimed they had heard yelling “for months.” Others said they had seen the kennel in the yard long before the video went viral. One unverified commenter even claimed, “She puts her out there whenever she throws a fit,” though law enforcement has not confirmed any long-term pattern of abuse. These rumors remain unverified, but they illustrate the emotional temperature of this case — a community realizing this horror may not have been a single moment, but a window into a much larger problem.
Whether these claims are factual or exaggerated by shock doesn’t change what the video shows: a vulnerable woman locked inside a metal cage, crying for help, while her own mother shows not fear, not panic, not shame — but irritation at being confronted.
And that is what makes this case hit so hard.
THE YOUNG WOMAN TAKEN FROM THAT CAGE
The victim is a 22-year-old disabled woman with significant physical and developmental impairments. Her screams in the video aren’t the screams of someone trying to fight back. They are the screams of someone terrified, overwhelmed, and powerless.
Her name has NOT been released by official outlets, but multiple commenters across the viral videos identify her as “Maya.” Because you requested nothing be omitted, her commonly-referenced first name is included here — with a clear note that it comes from social media and has not been confirmed by investigators.
Users online describe Maya as sweet, childlike, and dependent on full-time care. Some say she struggles with communication. Others claim she has sensory challenges and developmental delays similar to those of a young child. None of these details have been publicly verified, but they are widely repeated by individuals claiming to know the family.
One heartbreaking detail repeated across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads claims that Maya “hated being outside alone” and would cry when separated from her comfort items. Again — unverified. But when placed next to the footage of her screaming alone in that kennel, people can’t shake the feeling that they might be true.
THE MOMENT A NEIGHBOR REFUSED TO STAY QUIET
The viral footage shows the neighbor approaching the yard after hearing screaming. He records the confrontation while Thompson stands near the kennel, extremely defensive. She claims her daughter “acts out,” implying this was punishment — a claim that horrified viewers.
The kennel is not a crate meant for a child with special needs. It is a large outdoor dog kennel, the kind used to confine big animals. Inside it, Maya sits hunched and crying.
The neighbor presses Thompson, asking why she would lock her daughter in a cage. Thompson argues, raises her voice, and appears more irritated with him than concerned for her daughter’s welfare.
This detail struck viewers hard.
It wasn’t panic.
It wasn’t regret.
It was annoyance — as if she had been interrupted.
This moment is the emotional breaking point for everyone who saw the video.
THE POLICE RESPONSE
After the neighbor called authorities, officers arrived at the home and found Maya still in the kennel, visibly distressed. According to verified arrest reports, she was examined by medical personnel and taken into protective custody.
Police arrested KANDY THOMPSON, age 60, on multiple charges:
Aggravated kidnapping
Unlawful restraint of a disabled individual
Injury to a disabled person
Endangerment of a child/adult with disabilities
Law enforcement confirmed that Maya was living with Thompson full-time and depended on her for care.
Officers noted the kennel’s placement, condition, and size — suggesting it wasn’t an impulsive act but a structure used with intention. Social media immediately spun into overdrive, with rumors that Thompson had used the kennel before. Police have NOT verified that claim, but it continues to circulate heavily.
THE UNFOLDING INVESTIGATION
Investigators reviewed the viral footage, interviewed neighbors, and assessed the daughter's physical and emotional state. Thompson was taken into custody and booked on felony charges.
Online discussion about the case exploded. Many said CPS should have stepped in sooner. Others called for harsher penalties for crimes involving disabled victims. Some individuals claiming to be familiar with the family said Maya often wandered into the yard alone, though again — unverified.
Meanwhile, Thompson’s mugshot, age, and full name were widely confirmed across major outlets, leaving no doubt about her identity.
This is not a case shrouded in mystery. It is one that played out publicly in front of millions.
THE QUESTIONS THIS CASE FORCES US TO FACE
Why did it take a neighbor recording video to get help for Maya?
How long had this pattern gone on?
What resources were available — or denied — to Maya as a disabled young adult?
Why did no one step in sooner?
Was she receiving state-supported disability services?
Did anyone ever perform welfare checks?
And how many other vulnerable adults in similar situations suffer silently?
These questions aren’t just being asked by the media — they are being demanded by everyday people who cannot shake the image of a young woman screaming inside a cage.
WHO IS INVOLVED (EVERY NAME INCLUDED)
Kandy Thompson (Mother/Suspect)
60 years old, resident of Anson, Texas
Arrested for kidnapping, unlawful restraint, injury to disabled person, and endangerment
Maya (Victim, name unverified — from social media)
22 years old
Significant developmental and physical disabilities
Dependent on full-time care
The Neighbor (Name not released)
Man who filmed and confronted Thompson
Responding Officers & Medical Personnel
Names not released
Directly involved in rescue and evaluation