Two men in Texas were arrested after they were found living with two children in a filthy home, which police said “smelled like death.”
John Robbins and Michael Robbins were arrested on May 22 and charged with child endangerment after their neighbors called police to report an odor coming from their home.
Temple Police Department officers responded to the home on May 20 and noted that the residence smelled of a foul odor from the outside, according to an affidavit obtained by KWTX. One officer even noted in the affidavit that the home “smelled like death.”
The officers waited for someone to open the door and believed someone had died inside after no one answered. They then eventually entered the house and encountered John, 68, and Michael, 34, inside.
As the officers surveyed the conditions of the home, they said the residence was “completely filled with rotting garbage on the floor and surfaces.”
The officers also looked at the home’s bathroom, where they found an 8-year-old and 10-year-old child in a bathtub. Not only was the tub half-filled with dirty water, but police said the children had matted hair infested with bugs.
The children then got dressed into dirty clothing, which was reportedly covered in food stains. Additionally, police said that the children smelled of “urine, feces, body odor and stagnant water,” while one had rotting teeth.
While speaking to the officers, the children said they did not go to school and they never learned to read or write. Additionally, they claimed that John and Michael were not feeding them and the children had to take care of each other.
The children were later transported to a local hospital. Their current conditions are not known.
Police continued to investigate the home, finding animal feces, maggots and other insect activity in the sink, as well as rotting food on the counter.
It is not currently clear how the Robbins men are related to the two children who were living in their home.
John and Michael were both charged with two counts of endangering or abandoning a child. They are currently each being held in custody on a $60,000 bond at the Bell County Jail.
It is not currently clear if either John and Michael have entered pleas or retained legal counsel. The Temple Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
