Children found abandoned amid feces, padlocked in Lake Stevens home

A Lake Stevens couple has been arrested after police discovered their three young children abandoned and padlocked inside their own home in what police call “deplorable conditions.”

The three children, ages 7, 3, and 11 months, were found after police responded to a report of possible child neglect in the 9700 block of 11th Place SE, according to a release from the Lake Stevens Police Department.

Arriving officers spoke with a seven-year-old girl padlocked inside from outside. After forcing their way into the home, they found the three children surrounded by animal feces and garbage with no food or heat.

Police removed the children from the home, and the Lake Stevens Fire Department took them to the hospital for examination. One of the children was treated for hypothermia and dehydration with a core temperature of 94 degrees, according to the release.

The children were subsequently transferred to the custody of Child Protective Services.

CPS has received a number of complaints at the home, which has also had health department and code enforcement issues, preliminary investigations determined.

Police located and arrested the parents, both 33-years-old, in Monroe. They have been booked in the Snohomish County jail for Felony Criminal Mistreatment and Abandonment of a Dependent Person.