A 6-year-old girl was found in this Norco, California, house. She had been chained to a bed for five years

October 9, 1999
Web posted at: 3:38 a.m. EDT (0738 GMT)

NORCO, California (CNN) -- A six-year-old girl who had been chained to a bed for five years in her mother's feces-littered home is making steady progress since being admitted to a hospital a month ago.

In a statement released Friday, Loma Linda Children's Hospital said the girl has gained 10 pounds since being admitted and now weighs 40 pounds.

"She is more interactive with the people around her, including making more eye contact and giving her doctor 'five,'" the statement said.

"Although she does not yet say words, she is making more sounds and forming more syllables. She is undergoing cognitive speech and neuropsychological therapy."

Police found the girl in September after getting a tip from an anonymous caller who said the child had not been seen in years.

The girl's mother and grandfather were arraigned in criminal court on charges of torture, the infliction of great bodily injury and false imprisonment of a child.

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