Oconomowoc child neglect; couple charged after kids found living in filth

Couple charged in Oconomowoc child neglect case

An Oconomowoc couple is charged with chronic child neglect after officers found their children living in dangerous, filthy conditions inside a basement home.

OCONOMOWOC, Wis. - An Oconomowoc couple is facing five counts of child neglect each after officers found their home filled with soiled clothes, rotting food and human feces, according to prosecutors.

What we know:

The chronic neglect allegations span years and involve five children between the ages of 2 and 7.

Karianne Lindsey

Prosecutor Kevin J. Galezewski told the court the case reflects repeated failures and escalating danger for the children.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

"This neglect case spans years despite multiple attempts at intervention by the CPS and police," he said. "The children were found in unimaginable conditions and put at risk of death or great bodily harm."

Christian Diaz

Karianne Lindsey and Christian Diaz appeared in court on Monday, Nov. 10, on multiple charges tied to long-term neglect.

The backstory:

The case surfaced in September after Lindsey’s mother called police out of concern for her grandchildren. Officers arrived at the home, where the couple and their children lived in a two-bedroom basement.

"The five children have not only been left to live in filth with human feces and rotting food covering their entire space," said Galezewski.

Officers reported visible bed bug bites and scabs on the children and said the parents had not been maintaining basic hygiene.

"I can confirm to the court that no toothbrushes were found inside the home, none of the children have seen the dentist, including a 7-year-old," said Galezewski.

Lindsey’s mother told officers her daughter suffers from bipolar disorder and she did not know whether she had been taking medication. Lindsey told investigators she recently experienced a manic episode and said the medicine made her ill. 

Christian Diaz

Officers also reported finding several pills within reach of the children.

"That breaks my heart to hear any child say that, especially someone so young to be worried about their risk in their life, to make it feel like something really significant and severe might happen to me," said Faith Holley-Beal, Director of the Waukesha County Child Advocacy Center.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

Lindsey’s attorney argued she has shown meaningful progress since the investigation began.

Karianne Lindsey

"My understanding is conditions within the home have improved in a significant way and that’s quite encouraging," said Cameron Weitzner, attorney. "My understanding is that since this time CPS has been heavily involved with this family and they have been totally compliant."

What's next:

A judge set a $25,000 signature bond for both Lindsey and Diaz. They are prohibited from having unsupervised contact with their children.