‘The worse they’ve ever seen’: Parents arrested after child, dog found in unsanitary conditions
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WASHINGTON COUNTY, Oregon (KPTV) — Parents face criminal mistreatment charges after deputies found an 11-year-old child living in unsanitary conditions at a home in an unincorporated area of Washington County on Tuesday.
Washington County Sheriff’s Office said civil unit deputies had attempted to serve the residents with civil paperwork for several weeks without success and asked the Enhanced Sheriff’s Patrol District to conduct a welfare check. When deputies arrived at the home, they noticed multiple packages, noted in the previous weeks’ attempts, remained at the front door, one of which contained medication from a local pharmacy.
While looking into the windows, deputies said they saw “rotting food, trash, a malnourished dog, and black mold on the inside of the windows.” They also said they saw an 11-year-old and two adults.
After knocking on the door and announcing their presence, deputies forced their way into the home and were met with an “overwhelmingly foul odor.”
The adults, a woman and man, were arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail for first-degree criminal mistreatment and second-degree animal neglect.
The child was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons and was later taken by the Department of Human Services into protective custody. The sheriff’s office will not be releasing the parent’s names to protect the identity of the child.
The Washington County Animal Control later took the dog.
The deputies and detectives described the living conditions inside the home as the worst they have seen during their law enforcement careers.
“The Washington County Sheriff’s Office reminds community members to report all suspicious circumstances and behavior where they believe a child could be in danger. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, many children have not physically attended school or extracurricular activities where mandatory reporters can observe suspicious injuries or circumstances. If a community member wants to report any abuse or suspicious circumstance, call non-emergency at (503) 629-0111 or the DHS Oregon Child Abuse Hotline at 1-855-503-SAFE (7233). The Oregon Child Abuse Hotline receives calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. This toll-free number allows you to report any child or adult abuse to the Oregon Department of Human Services.”
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