5 kids from filthy house receive care

AUSTINTOWN — Five children taken from a filthy home on Westminster Avenue last week are now in foster care, and neighbors say they are glad the children are safe.

Four of eight adults living in the small cape cod house are charged in the child-endangering case, and police are expecting to charge all the adults living there with what they believe are stolen goods recovered in the home.

Police and the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force raided the home the morning of June 21 to look for stolen goods traced back to the address, 212 Westminster, said township Detective Kathy Dina.

They found the house full of trash, with no running water. Two 2-year-old girls and a 7-month-old girl were sleeping in urine, without diapers. They and two boys, 7 and 10, were taken away immediately by the county’s Children Services after police called them to the house.

Denise Stewart, children services director, would not comment Tuesday on whether there were prior complaints against the family.

For the complete story, see Wednesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com. To see a photo gallery of what the officers found in the home, click here.