Lucy
May 21st, 2008, 06:56 PM
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Indianapolis - A mother is under arrest facing felony neglect charges and her eight-year-old son is in state custody. It stems from the living conditions inside her North Sharon Avenue home.
Case managers say they dropped by and even left letters in the mailbox at the home of Sandra Helmick. They called for police back-up after knocking and not getting an answer at the door.
"There was feces and everything else in the house," said neighbor Sara LaCava.
LaCava had no idea her neighbors lived in what police described as horrific conditions. Officers arrested Sandra Helmick and allowed Child Protective Service workers to take custody of her eight-year-old son.
"He never came out to play with the kids, come in with his mother and talk to the guy standing out there," said LaCava.
Officers accompanied Child Protective Services to Helmick's North Sharon home Tuesday morning. The conditions of the house shocked officers.
"There was no running water, no plumbing, no food, dog feces throughout the house," said Lt. Jeff Duhammel of IMPD.
Officers eventually stumbled upon Helmick and her son while sifting through the conditions.
"Couldn't believe what they were seeing, the mom and son sitting on the bed in very filthy conditions," said Lt. Duhammel.
Police say it was evident that Helmick only fed her son chocolate cake, pudding and chocolate milk.
"His teeth were beginning to rot," said Lt. Duhammel.
The Department of Child Services can't talk specifically about the Helmick case, but it is known that a case worker called for police back-up after several failed attempts to locate the eight-year-old.
"We need to respond and assess safety as quickly as possible for that child to make sure the environment is safe for that child to remain in," said Child Protection Services Director Rhonda Allen.
While Sandra Helmick sits behind bars on neglect charges, social workers, police and especially her neighbors are glad the eight-year-old is now in better living conditions.
Helmick's neighbors on North Sharon say the woman kept to herself and that is probably why they didn't realize the living conditions were unfit.
Helmick goes to court Friday on a child neglect charge.
Indianapolis - A mother is under arrest facing felony neglect charges and her eight-year-old son is in state custody. It stems from the living conditions inside her North Sharon Avenue home.
Case managers say they dropped by and even left letters in the mailbox at the home of Sandra Helmick. They called for police back-up after knocking and not getting an answer at the door.
"There was feces and everything else in the house," said neighbor Sara LaCava.
LaCava had no idea her neighbors lived in what police described as horrific conditions. Officers arrested Sandra Helmick and allowed Child Protective Service workers to take custody of her eight-year-old son.
"He never came out to play with the kids, come in with his mother and talk to the guy standing out there," said LaCava.
Officers accompanied Child Protective Services to Helmick's North Sharon home Tuesday morning. The conditions of the house shocked officers.
"There was no running water, no plumbing, no food, dog feces throughout the house," said Lt. Jeff Duhammel of IMPD.
Officers eventually stumbled upon Helmick and her son while sifting through the conditions.
"Couldn't believe what they were seeing, the mom and son sitting on the bed in very filthy conditions," said Lt. Duhammel.
Police say it was evident that Helmick only fed her son chocolate cake, pudding and chocolate milk.
"His teeth were beginning to rot," said Lt. Duhammel.
The Department of Child Services can't talk specifically about the Helmick case, but it is known that a case worker called for police back-up after several failed attempts to locate the eight-year-old.
"We need to respond and assess safety as quickly as possible for that child to make sure the environment is safe for that child to remain in," said Child Protection Services Director Rhonda Allen.
While Sandra Helmick sits behind bars on neglect charges, social workers, police and especially her neighbors are glad the eight-year-old is now in better living conditions.
Helmick's neighbors on North Sharon say the woman kept to herself and that is probably why they didn't realize the living conditions were unfit.
Helmick goes to court Friday on a child neglect charge.