HOUSTON – A woman and mother have been charged after three children were found living in deplorable conditions, Houston police said.
The children’s guardian, Kathy Glass, 59, and mother, Lala Bell, 32, were charged with two counts of endangering a child.
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Police said they were called to a burglary of a motor vehicle at a home. When officers arrived, they found a child who tried to break into a vehicle to get an Easter basket, officials said.
Police said they took the child home, located in the 10300 block of Raymondville Road, and found the children were living in filth.
Officers said they found three children, two girls ages 12 and 5, and a 3-year-old boy.
Police said the home was in deplorable condition, that there was very little food, and that the 3-year-old was sitting in his own feces. Police said there was trash and broken glass in the front yard of the home, to which the children had easy access. Police said there were piles of dirty clothes, knives, insects and spiders throughout the house, and that the home looked like it hadn't been cleaned in months. Police said they found dirty needles next to the children’s beds.
They appeared to not have bathed in several days, police said.
The 12-year-old child told police that their mother would leave the children alone for days with Glass. She also told police the needles were supposed to be given to her by her mother for a heart condition, but said she had to inject herself since her mother was never home, police said.
Neighbors told police that the children would roam the streets by themselves and sometimes play in traffic.
Glass was arrested at the scene and charged for failing to report the conditions of the children and is being held in the Harris County Jail on $2,000 bail.
Bell is expected to appear in court Friday.
The children have been taken to Children Protective Services.