Jun 12, 2009 7:27 pm US/Eastern
7 Kids Found In 'House Of Horrors' In Mastic
Rotting Food, Feral Pets, Bottles Of Urine, Feces Found; No Working Toilets Or Running Water In Flea-Infested House
MASTIC, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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Seven children were found living in a deplorable conditions inside a house in Mastic.
CBS
Police on Long Island found seven children between the ages of 2 and 13 living in filthy conditions inside a flea-infested house, with rotting food, and no running water or working toilets.
Amid religious statues, just two blocks from the bay, it was a pitiful, foul-smelling sight. The seven young children were rescued by Suffolk police and social workers after they were discovered living with no heat or running water in putrid squalor, stuffed together in a decrepit bungalow with stray and feral cats and dogs, officials said.
"Look this is a wonderful home, it's within eyesight of a shoreline, it's in a very quiet neighborhood and yet unimaginable things happened behind that door," said Brookhaven Town Supervisor Mark Lesko. "This was literally a house of horrors."
Scrawled in the dirt-stained window of the house was "Lexees Room," perhaps a cry from help from one of the children.
Police say children were basically ignored by the five adults in their lives, including their mother, aunts, uncle, and grandfather – all arrested for child endangerment.
"Feces on the floor, garbage strewn about, rotting food, bottles of urine throughout the house," said Suffolk Co. Police Deputy Inspector Mark Griffiths.
Police say the suspects are all members of the Hall family.
"There are seven children. There is a sibling group of four, sibling group of two, and one single child. The children are now in Foster care," said Dennis Nowak of the Suffolk Co. Child Protective Services. "Are there any mental health issues? Are there any drug and alcohol issues? These are things that we will be investigating.
Neighbors were stunned that something like this could happen in their neighborhood.
"I did not look and say, 'Oh my God, they're not supposed to be doing that.' I mean, what are you going to do?" said Melissa Foglia, who lives right next door.
Community leaders worried that residents may have been afraid of getting involved. It took a teacher from a nearby school to notify Social Services.
"It takes a village, and it absolutely does. We need to make sure that everybody takes care of our kids in our community and make sure they make the complaints," said Suffolk Co. legislator Kate Browning.
A spokesperson from Child Protective Serices told CBS 2 reports of abuse and neglect were up 8 percent last year and up another 5 percent this year. They blame it mainly on the economy.
Bernadette Hall was also charged with animal abuse. The SPCA reports more than a dozen cats were taken from the filthy home. Richard Hall had prior arrests for DWI and drugs. All the defendants indicated they will plead not guilty at their arraignments.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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