Couple charged with child endangering after roach infested residence condemned
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When describing the scene recently, Grossen said she arrived at the house on July 7 to investigate a complaint stating the condition of home was concerning. She said the complaint said there were infestations and a child had been wearing the same outfit for two weeks.
East Liverpool police had also received a call about the house and officers were looking into it.
Grossen said when she arrived at the residence occupied by Sarah and Charles Dobbins, officers found an 8-year-old child had already be relocated to a relative's house. The residents denied Grossen entrance into the residence and told her they had a few things to pick up before she could enter.
Grossen said the couple told her the child had been relocated and agreed to have Grossen return in a few days. She then said the police notified her within an hour of her being there, that they were at the residence and requested she return.
Detective Jon Price said in his report that he obtained permission with a verbal consent to check the house for the safety of the child because the city housing director had just been denied entry. Price noted the strong animal feces and urine smell, and the entire house completely littered with feces, urine and matted trash and dirt that words couldn't describe.
Grossen said she was very concerned about the condition of the house when she arrived just based on the appearance of the porch, and detectives present only made it halfway through the living room and told her the inside was horrific. Grossen said that was when she was suited up in a tyrex suit and went inside and toured the entire house.
She noted upon entry the urine induced ammonia and feces smell was completely overwhelming. There was excessive trash, ground in filth, and debris in every room with no clean or safe place to exist, and roaches were falling from the ceiling. The child's bedroom contained moldy filthy clothing, toys and a filthy mattress on the floor which Grossen noted was saturated in urine and covered in feces and all the floors in the home were the same way.
She had to call the humane society due to how severe the conditions were and ordered an immediate condemnation on the home.
She further noted that an 18-year-old was sleeping in a mold-filled basement on a filthy mattress on the floor and said that the basement is not an approved living space.
"It was unbelievable. It was bad," Grossen said. "I wore a suit to go in with the humane society to help with the animals."
She also noted the infestation was so bad that the roaches took over the neighborhood, and at least six other residents had to have their homes treated due to it.
Grossen said that although the house was pretty bad, she did receive cooperation from Arthur Keyser, the owner of the house who had no idea how bad the situation was and that the people were living like that. She also noted that he had a dumpster brought in to clean the house out so it could be treated for the infestation and that he is now working to rehabilitate the house to make it livable again.
The humane society worked to come up with a plan for three dogs and approximately 11 cats.
Based on the condition of the house during the welfare check the Dobbinses were charged with endangering children.