Deputies discovered dead animals at the residence where the three adults lived with a 9-year-old boy, who is now in the custody of Child Protective Services
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Three adults are behind bars and a young boy is in the care of Child Protective Services after deputies in Michigan stumbled upon a horror scene earlier this month.
“Starvation of animals, neglect, neglect of children, this case has it all,” Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson said at a news conference on Wednesday, March 19.
It all began after some AT&T employees arrived at a worksite in Flint to discover that $30,000 worth of wireless cables had been stolen, according to Swanson.
In the course of their investigation, deputies arrived at a home where the first thing they saw was a dead dog in a cage in the front of the house, along with an emaciated dog wandering around the yard, said Swanson.
Once inside, police came across a second emaciated dog. “They hadn’t eaten in weeks and there’s no water there,” Swanson said.
Then, the deputies saw a small puppy curled up in the fetal position and dead inside a pizza box, according to Swanson.
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At the same time, deputies noted the “deplorable” condition of the house.
“The refrigerator had no power and had rotted food inside and conditions that nobody should even been living there,” Swanson explained during the news conference.
However, people were living there, including a 9-year-old child.
“Three adults, two dead dogs, two emaciated dogs and a 9-year-old boy,” Swanson said.
Deputies quickly got to work, and saved the two starving and dehydrated dogs on the scene, while placing the child in the care of Child Protective Services and finding them “a safe place to live,” Swanson said.
Authorities did not elaborate on the child’s relationship with the adults during the press conference. However, the three adults are facing multiple charges, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE.
Kelly Walker, 29, is charged with child abuse, cruelty to animals and the killing and torture of an animal.
Charles Ashbaker, 38, is charged with cruelty to animals, the killing and torture of an animal, child abuse and felony firearm possession.
Dougal Nelson, 47, is charged with theft, drug possession and resisting arrest.
“We work hand in hand with [Genesee County] Prosecutor [David] Layton to make sure that these individuals are charged as much as we possibly can and let the system take it from there,” Swanson said on Wednesday. “These are the individuals that could have at any point called 911 and said, ‘I can’t take care of my dogs, I can’t take care of this child.’ “
