OHIO — An investigation into two young children found alone at a Youngstown gas station led authorities to a South Side home where 10 children were living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, police said.
The 18-month-old and 3-year-old children were found around 11:20 a.m. in the 2000 block of South Avenue. Police said no one had called 911 for over an hour after the children were reported missing.
Officers and Children Services agents went to a home on East Dewey Avenue, where they found Melissa Kanos, the mother of at least one of the children. Kanos initially told police she thought the child had been gone only 10 to 15 minutes, later admitting she last saw the child at 11 a.m.
Inside the home, authorities reported finding human feces, urine, and food scattered on the floors. A total of 14 people, including 10 children, were living in the residence.
All 10 children were placed with other family members. Authorities also removed two birds and three dogs, including one malnourished dog with sores, which were taken to the Animal Charity of Ohio.
Kanos was charged with five counts of endangering children, all first-degree misdemeanors. Her bond was set at $2,500. She is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on August 26 at 10:30 a.m.
