BRIGHTON, Colorado (AP) _ A woman who locked her 13-year-old grandson in a dog kennel nightly for three years is facing charges including child abuse and kidnapping.

Prosecutors filed 39 charges against June Candelario, 61, for allegedly locking her grandson in a dog kennel for up to 11 hours a night while she worked as a detention counselor for Jefferson County. The kennel was 46 inches by 30 inches, and 35 inches tall (117 centimeters by 76 centimeters, and 89 centimeters tall).

The charges filed Thursday include felony second-degree kidnapping, attempt to commit child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury, and 37 misdemeanor charges of child abuse.

She told social workers she felt locking up the teen was better than letting him walk the streets, according to court documents.

The boy, 5 feet, 4 inches (1.62 meters) tall and weighing 110 pounds (50 kilograms), told authorities he had to pull his knees to his chest to fit inside. He could move only to roll to his side.

The woman's son, Ralph Candelario, told Denver station KCNC-TV that he is "perplexed" by the charges.

"It doesn't make sense to me," he said. "It's totally out of the range of what I would believe."

Ralph Candelario said he has spoken to authorites about the boy, who is his nephew, and that he "seems to be doing OK."

June Candelario remains free on $100,000 (euro78,000) bail. During a hearing Thursday, a judge granted her 30 days to hire an attorney.