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Last updated on Wednesday, September 25, 2013
(INDIANAPOLIS) - Police said six children under the age of 13 (plus several pets) were removed from a home in which investigators found fleas, a broken toilet, saws, no food and unsanitary conditions such as feces covering the floor and condoms on the kids’ bed.
RTV6 reports that an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer headed to 2818 S. Rybolt Ave. on the city's southwest side on a report of child abuse.
The officer said when he arrived he was greeted by the parents of the home, Gerald Miles, 39, and Ginger Mathison, 33, both of whom are deaf.
The officer said they immediately became agitated at the police presence at their home. IMPD said the couple approached him, got in his face and began yelling and signing to him very aggressively. The officer said Miles was holding a metal object in his hand, and due to the combination of the object with Miles' and Mathison's anger, the officer detained the couple for safety's sake.
IMPD said once the couple was detained, the officer headed inside to check on the kids.
"As soon as I walked in the front door a strong smell of animal urine and fecal matter overwhelmed me," the officer wrote in his police report on the incident.
The officer said he looked down and saw fecal matter covering the floor along with staples sticking out of the hardwood floor. He said he also found razor blades, saws, a hammer, and various other dangerous items sitting around in the front room of the home.
As he continued through the house, IMPD said the officer saw the house was infested with fleas and cockroaches. He also said he discovered the home had very little food -- and the food that was there, was rotten. Cockroaches were found in the refrigerator and pantry as well.
The food wasn't the only rotten thing, investigators said. The officer found that there were several spots on the floor that were so rotten and unsecure that they could cause the children serious bodily harm.
The officer made his way to the children's room, where he said he found a used condom on the bed. Meanwhile in the second room, IMPD said a large portion of drywall was missing, leaving wires exposed. Plus, most electrical switches in the house did not have the proper covering, the officer said.
The list goes on. The officer said he found only one toilet in the entire home, occupied by a total of eight people, and that toilet was not working.
IMPD said the children were found "extremely unkempt" and covered with fleas. The ages of the children are 13, 8, 7, 7, 6 and 4.
The officer said there were also four dogs and two cats Animal Control had to remove due to poor living conditions and some malnutrition issues.
The Department of Child Services removed the kids as officials said they felt living conditions were unsafe for the children.
There is no word yet from investigators as to whether the couple faces child neglect charges.
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