What started as a welfare check at a Glendale apartment turned into a child-abuse case that seasoned officers are calling one of the worst they have ever seen. Police arrested a couple after finding two young boys living in what authorities described as “caged” conditions inside a filthy unit on Thursday, Jan. 29. The boys, ages 4 and 6, were kept behind tall gates and surrounded by smeared feces, insects, and other hazards, investigators said.
Officers reported the children showed signs of developmental delays and had not received routine medical care or any formal schooling. Both parents were booked on child-abuse charges, and the Arizona Department of Child Safety took the boys into custody.
Welfare Check Uncovered Gated Bedroom and Unsanitary Conditions
According to court documents, officers forced their way into the apartment after a caller reported seeing a naked child in a window. Inside, they found a six-foot gate secured with zip ties stretched across the only bedroom, effectively trapping the boys in the room.
Investigators wrote that “every surface, including the ceiling and mattress, was covered in smeared feces” and noted flies and an insect infestation throughout the bedroom. Those details were laid out in affidavits reviewed by AZFamily…