Mom Who Kept Kids In Cave ‘Did No Wrong’

Mom who kept kids in cave ne short

A Kansas City mom has been busted for stashing her starving kids in wooden boxes deep within a cave while she was at work, but her boss said she’s wrongfully accused — those crates were just “play spaces!”

“These were well-lit playhouses in a well-kept shop!” Sean Dale, 41, the owner of the auto repair shop where Brittany Mugrauer, 24, worked, told The National ENQUIRER in an exclusive interview.

The business is housed in the same former limestone mine where the two boys — just 6 and 4 — were found hungry and unattended in dirt-strewn containers on Sept. 14.

Mugrauer was charged with felony child endangerment and is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 7.

According to court documents obtained by The ENQUIRER, the reason police were on the scene was to investigate Sean’s “Underground Diesel” operation as a suspected “chop shop.”

That’s when shocked cops made the disturbing discovery of the two kids huddled in one of the crates in the back of the cave.

“The children were in the crate when officers arrived,” said Detective Penny Cole in the probable cause statement.

“The crates were just a play space for these kids,” said Sean. “Brittany was away for two hours to take me to the hospital when the police came in and made these crazy claims. My mechanics watched them the entire time.”

The detective described a horrifying scene — saying the 6-year-old was dressed in a dirty T-shirt and a pair of pants that were too long.

His younger brother was in a short-sleeve shirt and shorts.

“Both were covered in dirt and filth from head to foot,” she said, adding the younger child was eating dry ramen noodles out of a cup filled with dirt.

The kids were hospitalized and are in the custody of child services.

Mugrauer is forbidden to have any interaction with them without court supervision.