Bethany Bruner

Reporter

NEWARK – Three children younger than 10 were removed from a North Buena Vista Street home after authorities found living conditions there described as "filthy."

Firefighters were originally called to the home on the 300 block of North Buena Vista Street around 5 p.m. Thursday after one of the children in the home called 911. The child called for emergency assistance because a person watching the children had fallen and was unable to get up.

When firefighters arrived, they called police after the living conditions inside the home were discovered, according to a police report obtained by The Advocate.

The officer's statement said the home was "filthy."

"There were mountains of trash and clutter everywhere in the house," the officer wrote. "There was a strong odor of animals and urine."

Four dogs were discovered to be living inside the home.

The family reportedly had been living in the home for about a year. One of the children in the home told officers they had to sleep in the bedroom because their father, who does not live at the residence, said they could not sleep in the attic anymore.

Officers found the attic was "cluttered, not heated and very cold," according to the report.

The child said all the children slept in the attic but it got cold and had a bee nest in it. The child reportedly told the officer he could not fall asleep at times during the previous winter because of the cold.

The child showed an officer his bedroom by walking "across urine soaked blankets, trash and clothing." The child reportedly told the officer not to go in the room "because that is where the dogs go to the bathroom."

The officer noted in his statement that there was a twin mattress with no bedclothes in the bedroom and a broken and dirty toddler bed. There was animal feces on the floor and "the overwhelming ammonia smell of urine forced me to exit the bedroom," the officer wrote.

Police called Children Services to the home and the children were removed. The children are staying with their father in the Columbus area, according to the police report.

Sgt. Paul Davis said no charges have been filed against the mother. Children Services has taken over the case.