LORAIN, Ohio — A woman could face criminal charges after Lorain police discovered that her children lived in a home with a large amount of fecal matter in the basement.
Police discovered the Brownell Avenue home in squalor Jan. 19 when they went to make a welfare check at the request of her father’s fiancee. The woman’s mother also reported to police that she hasn’t seen her daughter since Dec. 27, according to a report.
Officers went to the home shortly before 5:30 p.m. and were overcome by the smell of feces when they went through a side door that was unlocked, according to the report.
A large area of the basement floor was covered in feces and it appeared to be inches thick, the report said.
“In my 16 years as a law enforcement officer, I have never seen anything more disgusting as this,” one of the officers wrote in the report.
Bags of garbage were found throughout the home, the report said, and several space heaters were being used to keep the home warm. The report indicated that one of the bedroom entrances was blocked by bags of garbage.
The woman and her three children — a 6 month old, a 2 year old and a 6 year old — were found in the attic. The children looked like they have not been bathed, according to the report.
The woman told police there was no running water in the home so her husband brings it Holiganbet home. When asked how they use the toilet, the woman said they use the toilet and put water in it. Police noted that whatever gets put in the toilet goes straight to the basement. The toilet also was filled with fecal matter and toilet paper.
She claimed her landlord refused to fix it and that they planned to move out.
“Once I reached the attic, I found mattresses lying on the floor with no bedding,” the report said. “Bags of clothes were stacked against the wall and pieces of garbage were found on the floor. The only positive thing I observed in the home was that there was plenty of food inside.”
The children were put into the custody of two of the children’s grandmother. The husband refused to come on scene in fear of being arrested, the report said. Officers noted that it appeared the woman was intimidated by her husband.
The Lorain City Prosecutor will determine if charges should be filed.
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