Police in the Pacific Northwest arrested three people after Vancouver, Washington, police officer found five kids and three dogs living inside an SUV.
“During the investigation, officers located methamphetamine on one of the suspects, and another suspect admitted there was fentanyl inside the vehicle,” police said. “The kids had very little food available and showed clear signs of neglect.”
The children were ages 13, 11, 10, 8, and 5. State Child Protective Services took custody of the children, and they were taken to a hospital for an evaluation. Two of the three dogs were extremely underweight, and the third had an untreated open tumor and had to be euthanized.
Police arrested Natalie Gebron, Zachariah Edwards, and Corleone Lewis. Gebron and Edwards were charged with fie counts of endangerment with a controlled substance, 1 count of possession of a controlled substance, and three counts of animal cruelty.
Lewis was charged with resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, 2 counts of unlawful camping, 2 counts of unlawful storage of personal property in public places assault-domestic violence, malicious mischief-domestic violence, and possession of a controlled substance.
According to Law&Crime, Gebron, 46, is the mother of all five children. Edwards, 40, is the father of the three of them. Documents did not say how Lewis was connected with the family.
A search warrant said that a caller saw the children in the SUV at a car wash and called police, KATU reported. The caller reportedly said the smalleset child was “naked and shivering” and had bones visible through emaciated skin.
All five of the children tested positive for fentanyl, and two tested positive for methamphetamine, the station said.
Gebron and Edwards are due in court again on December 23, while Lewis is expeced to appear on December 18.
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[Featured image: Vancouver Police Department]