Twenty children, ranging in age from 2½ months to 17 years, and 20 dogs were removed from a filthy, moldy home in Victorville that had no electricity or gas and deputies arrested five women at the house.

Neighbors said they have seen dozens of people going in and out at all times of the day, most of them children.

"There's been drugs, there's been everything under the sun here," said Cary Walker, a neighbor. "You would think it was a complete flop house. There's so many people on this corner -- 50 to 75 people here at one time sometimes."



Two dogs were found dead, said Deputy Alicia Jackson, of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, who was one of the deputies who responded to the home.



She said in her four years as a law enforcement officer, she has never seen so many children living in such deplorable conditions.



"There was extreme filth, mold," she said. "There was no electricity, no gas. It was hard to walk through the residence because of all the clutter and dirt and animals running around."



Code Enforcement officers found black mold and deemed the home uninhabitable. None of the dogs had access to water.

Jackson said the home had very little food, which is one of the reasons why the children and dogs were taken away and placed in better care.

Jackson said the home belongs to the children's grandmother.



The women arrested and booked on child endangerment charges ranged in age from 22 to 61. Two of them also face charges for being under the influence of a controlled substance, deputies said.



Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact the Victorville Police Department at (760) 241-2911. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78CRIME (27463) or you may leave information on the We-Tip website at www.wetip.com.



