EWING -- A mother arrested for a domestic violence incident in Trenton this morning was found to have her 5- and 10-year-old boys living inside a narrow storage unit in Ewing, police said today.

Sheena Johnson, 27, has been charged with two counts of second-degree child endangerment and remains in the custody of the Ewing police, authorities said tonight.

Johnson was initially charged this morning with criminal mischief in Trenton after she allegedly slashed her boyfriends tires on Calhoun Street in the city, Trenton police Sgt. Mark Kieffer said.

Updated story:

Two boys, ages 5 and 10, found living in 'filthy' Ewing self-storage locker; mother charged with endangerment

Trenton Officer Robert Arnwine, who interviewed Johnson after her arrest, went to the Extra Space Storage facility on the 1400 block of Prospect Street to check out the woman's claims her boys were inside one of the units there, Kieffer said.

"They open it up," Kieffer said of the officers who went to the unit. "That's where their house is - that's where they're living."

"It was just filthy in there," he added.

Both children were taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Hopewell to be checked out and were released to the care of the state Department of Child and Families.

Authorities were at Extra Space Storage from at least 11 a.m. investigating. Vehicles from the Trenton and Ewing police along with an ambulance were parked outside. At around 1 p.m., two young boys were seen being led out of the storage facility's office to a waiting minivan with state of New Jersey tags. They were munching on McDonald's Happy Meals brought to them by Ewing police officers.

Johnson was likely living there with the two children, but had left them inside the unit this morning when she went to Trenton, Kieffer said. She wound up getting arrested after allegedly slashing the tires on Calhoun Street, he said.

During the arrest, Arnwine asked Johnson routine questions about any dependents.

"Whenever you place someone under arrest, you got to worry about children or elderly adults," Kieffer said.

When Johnson spoke about the storage place, Arnwine investigated, driving out to Prospect Street and speaking with workers at the facility. While they initially refused to let Arnwine in without a warrant, Arnwine pointed out there could be children in danger and they relented, Kieffer said.

Ewing code enforcement and health officials were also on the scene. Township police and the prosecutor's office have not returned requests for additional comment.

Champ Bell, who rents a storage unit inside the facility, said he believes a family was living inside one of the units. He said he had seen an adult bring a boy, who looked to be about 3 years old, into the facility and not leave.

"I've been seeing them for months," Bell said.

There is no heat inside the storage areas, and electricity only in the hallways, he said. His 30-foot-wide unit costs $240 per month to rent. Smaller units are substantially less, he said.

Bail has not yet been set for the child endangerment charges.

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