Background: Intersection in Vancouver, Washington, where police officers say they found five children living in unsafe conditions inside a vehicle (Google Maps). Insets: Images of the vehicle where officers say they found five children living in unsafe conditions (Vancouver (Wash.) Police Department).
Three people in Washington are in custody after police say they discovered five children and three dogs living inside an SUV littered with trash and drugs.
Natalie Gebron, Zachariah Edwards, and Corleone Lewis are facing an array of charges, including child endangerment, drug possession, and animal cruelty, the Vancouver Police Department said in a statement.
The children, ages 13, 11, 10, 8 and 5 years old, and the three dogs were found “living in unsafe conditions inside a vehicle” that was “packed with belongings, trash, and drug paraphernalia,” the statement said. Gebron, 46, is reportedly the mother of all five kids; Edwards, 40, is the father of three of them.
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Police were apparently alerted to the situation by a caller who had seen the children in the SUV at a car wash in Vancouver, local ABC affiliate KATU reported, citing a search warrant. That caller allegedly told authorities that the smallest child was “naked and shivering,” and appeared to be malnourished as their bones were visible.
The warrant reportedly described the living conditions as “atrocious.” They were only “partially clothed,” and all five of them allegedly tested positive for fentanyl. Two tested positive for methamphetamine, the KATU report said.
Gebron reportedly told investigators that the 5-year-old was partially blind, deaf, and had cerebral palsy. They had allegedly lost the child”s feeding tube and had been feeding them using a bottle for over a year.
Officials reportedly found methamphetamine on one of the suspects, and another suspect allegedly admitted there was fentanyl inside the SUV.
“The kids had very little food available and showed clear signs of neglect,” the statement noted.
The vehicle was seized and child protective services took the kids into custody.
As for the dogs, police noted, “[t]wo were extremely underweight, and the third had an untreated open tumor, and sadly needed to be put down.” They were believed to have eaten plastic, KATU reported.
Gebron and Lewis were booked on Nov. 19, according to records, while Edwards was booked on Nov. 20. Each defendant faces nine charges, according to online jail records. Gebron and Edwards are each charged with five counts of endangerment with a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and animal cruelty; Lewis is charged with resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful camping and domestic violence, among other offenses.
Vancouver jail records show that none of the three suspects has been released. Gebron and Edwards have a court date scheduled for Dec. 23, while Lewis is set to appear on Dec. 18.
