Mother, children found living in deplorable conditions on South Side

Mother, children found living in deplorable conditions on South Side

YOUNGSTOWN — A South Side woman living in house near where numerous dog carcasses were found last fall is now facing housing code violations for having a filthy house.

City police said they were called to 130 E. Warren Ave., the home of Lacreshia May, to check on a report of deplorable conditions inside and out.

Police said when they arrived at 11:06 a.m. today they found five children, all under 18 inside, and one child was nude. Police said May, 27, who is 9 months pregnant, was lying on a couch.

There was no running water, filthy clothes and debris on the floor, and only sauerkraut, butter and onions in the refrigerator.

According to police, there was a large unleashed dog in the garage, peeling paint inside and out, and a broken window in the house. Police said May’s water service was shut off today because she had an outstanding bill of $1,171.44.

May’s was the only occupied house on the dead-end street identified in September as the place where the Mahoning County Dog Warden found numerous dog carcasses in the woods.

Authorities had been called to the neighborhood for reports of dog fights in garages near the vacant houses. In addition to the carcasses, they found living dogs with fresh injuries likely from dog fighting.

May was cited at that time for having an unlicensed cane corso and an unlicensed pit bull. The pit bull, a large reddish male, was found barricaded with furniture to keep him inside a room in the basement.

Police issued her a summons to appear in municipal court Monday to answer to housing code violations. Mahoning County Children Services was contacted to investigate her living conditions.