WILMINGTON — “This is probably one of the worst cases we’ve seen, and that I’ve certainly seen in a 15-year career,” said Wilmington Police Det. Scott Baker.
Police arrested three individuals at a West Sugartree Street residence Saturday night for alleged child endangerment after responding to a welfare check on a residence with no running water and no heat source.
According to the report, Baker found the residence “was completely covered in filth, dirty clothes, trash/debris, and animal feces.” Baker noted how cold it was inside — 45 degrees Fahrenheit — and there were several small electric heaters being used.
Two children — ages 1 and 3 — were reported to be found lying in chairs shivering, wearing only diapers.
When he asked the children’s grandmother about clothing, she directed her teen children to get clothes for them, police said.
“(The grandmother) stated the parents (the 21-year-old male and 20-year-old female) were in another room of the house because it was too cold for them in the other rooms,” the report states.
A Clinton County Sheriff’s deputy responded bringing clothes, blankets, diapers and wipes from Clinton Memorial Hospital for the children.
Arrested were Marsha D. Greene, 40, of Sugartree Street, and Lisa Greene, 20, and Kyle T. Siau, 21, both of West Locust St. All were transported to the Clinton County Jail. All were eventually released on bond.
When authorities asked the grandmother why there was no heat, they said she advised that the landlord “refuses to fix it.” She also confirmed there was no running water.
Upon further inspection, police say they found trash/debris piled up in the kitchen, dirty/moldy dishes were piled up in the sink, toilets in the bathrooms were filled with human waste, and two dogs had defecated in several rooms and consumed human feces from the toilets.
One room was reported to have an outdoor propane heater which needed ventilation but didn’t have any, which can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, the report notes.
“In the total, the residence is not suitable for human life, let alone suitable for children,” the officer stated in the report.
“Words cannot describe the condition of this residence, nor the condition of this residence, nor the conditions of how these juveniles lived,” Baker said in his report.
The two dogs were also removed from the scene. Photos were taken of the residence.
The property is owned by Shawn Roades of Wilmington, according to the Clinton County Auditor’s Office.
Authorities contacted Clinton County Children Services, stating they were removing the four children and placing them in custody of the state. CCCS responded to the residence and observed its condition.
According to Baker, when they contacted CCCS they discovered there were open cases in Greene County regarding Marsha Greene’s two teenage children, and then went to a grandmother’s home.
Baker also expressed gratitude toward the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and Clinton Memorial Hospital for their help in getting blankets, clothing, and other objects for the kids.
“(CMH) gave us blankets from the warmer and they said, ‘If you guys need anything, food, whatever, just say so.’ CMH was amazing and the Sheriff’s Office was a great help,” said Baker.
More WPD reports
The following reports are generated from incident reports provided by the Wilmington Police Department. All those arrested are presumed innocent until possibly found guilty in court. Charges may be dropped or changed in court.
• At 6:10 p.m. on Dec. 20, officers responded to the 100 block of West Sugartree Street in reference to an assault. Upon arrival, a 41-year-old male advised he was with his girlfriend, age 21, who “took a heavy dose of heroin,” the report states. He advised, “she was falling asleep when she suddenly began yelling at him and accusing him of wanting sexual relations without consent.” He advised three males — ages 23, 28, and 45 — then began to beat him up and he sustained minor bruises/bumps during the altercation. He stated he defended himself and has a bump on his arm. The suspects were indicated to be the female’s brothers. The victim then stated the brothers then took his keys to his vehicle without consent and refused to permit him to leave the residence. The victim stated this occurred at 5 a.m. and he was able to leave roughly 45 minutes prior to calling the police. The victim advised he would like charges to reference the assault and theft of his vehicle. Officers obtained his information and a BOLO was sent to adjacent counties and the vehicle entered into LEADS as stolen. A similar incident occurred earlier in the year in which once the vehicle was recovered the victim did not contact the police in reference to charges.
• Police arrested a 29-year-old male for alleged theft after police responded to a shoplifting report at a hardware store on Rombach Avenue at 7:38 p.m. on Dec. 20. The report lists $55.96 worth of assorted tools as the stolen items.
• Police arrested a 53-year-old male for alleged persisting disorderly conduct after responding a disorderly subject on Xenia Avenue at 7:34 p.m. on Dec. 19.
• Police arrested a 26-year-old male for alleged trespassing at 8:51 p.m. on Dec. 22, after receiving a report of him at a gas station on East Main Street where he was not permitted.
• At 10:01 p.m. on Dec. 19, a college student advised a white male with a beard was driving around the campus in a red beat-up sedan, stopping and “asking any student in sight to come to his vehicle,” according to the report. Police did not see a vehicle matching the description. The responding officer called college security and advised them of the complaint. They were aware and would keep an eye out for the vehicle and male. The report lists the 400 block of Graham Drive as the incident location.
• At 9:26 p.m. on Dec. 18, a 61-year-old female advised that a 33-year-old male — the father of her grandsons — called her about seeing his 3-year-old son. According to the report, the grandmother told him that with his anger issues she did not feel comfortable being alone with him and the child. She told him they could meet at a public place for safety. This made the father upset and he told her that “he would slash her tires.” She told him “the cops would know who to look for if that happened.” He then responded that “he would hire a ‘meth head’ to do it for him so he wasn’t associated.” He went on to tell her that if it cost him money to see his son, it would cost her too, according to the report.
• At 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 20, police received a theft report from a store on Rombach Avenue that occurred on Dec. 5. According to the report, a 35-year-old Martinsville male and a 24-year-old Wilmington male are suspected of stealing bolt cutters.
• At 5:39 p.m. on Dec. 22, police were dispatched to a storage facility on Wayne Road in reference to a breaking and entering. Upon arrival, police made contact with a man who advised that someone had broken a window and taken items from the building. He advised that the owner’s son, age 19, noticed the outside door open, and when he went inside he noticed the broken window and the items missing. The 19-year-old advised that he was last at the property around 2 p.m. the previous day. He advised he noticed the open door around an hour before police arrived. Upon searching the building, police observed a broken window on the west side of the building and multiple items stacked in front of the north side garage door. The victim advised that someone had unlocked the garage door and raised it a few inches off the ground, in what seemed to be an attempt to come back later and take more items. He also advised that multiple tools had been taken and would he compose a list of items taken when they had an opportunity to account for everything. The officer gathered pictures of the building and the damages. The owner advised he wished to pursue charges. According to the report, $1,920 worth of items were stolen.
• Emergency services and police were dispatched at 12:46 a.m. on Dec. 16 to a Randolph Street residence on the report of a 22-year-old male who fell unconscious in the bathroom. The caller was unable to advise if medical, drug or alcohol-related, but the male was breathing. An officer arrived and observed the odor of marijuana emitting from the residence. The officer provided scene security for the fire department until they were finished. Police asked the male and his mother where the marijuana was. The mother stated there was none in the house. The officer advised her that was false and he could smell it. She then stated the male had some. The male stated he had a few “unfinished ‘blunts’ in his ashtray located in his room.” The male took the officer to his room and handed him three marijuana cigarettes. The cigarettes were taken to the police station and were marked for destruction. The report did not indicate what made the male fall unconscious.
