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5- and 4-year-old obese girls taken from home; living in squalor
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/20/georgia.child.cruelty/index.html?hpt=T2
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- When police walked into the home, they found a 5-year-old girl weighing nearly 160 pounds, her teeth rotting, her skin covered in spider bites. Her 4-year-old sister was lying on a filthy mattress, wearing only a urine-soaked diaper.
Police were responding to a domestic dispute call at the Marietta, Georgia, house Monday when they encountered the shocking scene. They called in child abuse investigators, and ultimately arrested the parents, James and Anne Cardona, charging both with second-degree child cruelty, Cobb County police spokesman Joe Hernandez said.
The children are now in the state custody. Their parents were released on bond, but Anne Cardona was arrested again late Thursday for giving "misleading information" to a magistrate judge at the couple's first court appearance Tuesday, said Col. Milton Beck of the Cobb County sheriff's department.
She remained in jail Friday without bond until further notice from court, he said. Attempts to reach her husband were unsuccessful Friday, and it wasn't immediately clear whether they had retained legal counsel.
Asked by CNN affiliate WSB-TV on Thursday whether the children were mistreated at the home, Anne Cardona said no.
Police had only stopped at the family's home in the Atlanta suburb one other time, more than a year ago, but hadn't observed anything like they saw Monday, Hernandez said.
The house "stunk of urine and mold," according to the arrest warrants for the Cardonas. It is "infested with roaches, [fleas], cobwebs and gigantic spiders," the documents said.
The bathroom and shower are covered in black mold and dirt, they said.
Neither girl is enrolled in school. Both are severely obese. The older daughter, who weighs 158 pounds, could not walk 10 feet without "becoming out of breath and wheezing," officers said. The younger child weighs 89 pounds and still drinks from a baby bottle. Her feet were blackened with dirt, her skin also covered in insect bites.
"A situation like this is tragic -- tragic for the family, but mostly for the kids," said Normer Adams, executive director of the Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children, a trade group representing a range of agencies, including foster homes and family support programs.
"This is an extreme case of neglect by the parents," he said. "These kids are hurting on many levels -- certainly educational development, and probably social development."
Adams said it's unlikely that the Cardonas would be able to regain custody of their children, saying it's "too late" for the family to avoid foster care.
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- When police walked into the home, they found a 5-year-old girl weighing nearly 160 pounds, her teeth rotting, her skin covered in spider bites. Her 4-year-old sister was lying on a filthy mattress, wearing only a urine-soaked diaper.
Police were responding to a domestic dispute call at the Marietta, Georgia, house Monday when they encountered the shocking scene. They called in child abuse investigators, and ultimately arrested the parents, James and Anne Cardona, charging both with second-degree child cruelty, Cobb County police spokesman Joe Hernandez said.
The children are now in the state custody. Their parents were released on bond, but Anne Cardona was arrested again late Thursday for giving "misleading information" to a magistrate judge at the couple's first court appearance Tuesday, said Col. Milton Beck of the Cobb County sheriff's department.
She remained in jail Friday without bond until further notice from court, he said. Attempts to reach her husband were unsuccessful Friday, and it wasn't immediately clear whether they had retained legal counsel.
Asked by CNN affiliate WSB-TV on Thursday whether the children were mistreated at the home, Anne Cardona said no.
Police had only stopped at the family's home in the Atlanta suburb one other time, more than a year ago, but hadn't observed anything like they saw Monday, Hernandez said.
The house "stunk of urine and mold," according to the arrest warrants for the Cardonas. It is "infested with roaches, [fleas], cobwebs and gigantic spiders," the documents said.
The bathroom and shower are covered in black mold and dirt, they said.
Neither girl is enrolled in school. Both are severely obese. The older daughter, who weighs 158 pounds, could not walk 10 feet without "becoming out of breath and wheezing," officers said. The younger child weighs 89 pounds and still drinks from a baby bottle. Her feet were blackened with dirt, her skin also covered in insect bites.
"A situation like this is tragic -- tragic for the family, but mostly for the kids," said Normer Adams, executive director of the Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children, a trade group representing a range of agencies, including foster homes and family support programs.
"This is an extreme case of neglect by the parents," he said. "These kids are hurting on many levels -- certainly educational development, and probably social development."
Adams said it's unlikely that the Cardonas would be able to regain custody of their children, saying it's "too late" for the family to avoid foster care.
I personally believe that our access to the media has shown light on to situations like these. Child neglect/abuse is prevalent.
Many, many year ago in my home town, there was an shelter/foster home for children taken by the state. There was wide spread abuse in this facility! Not only were the kids taken from abuse and neglect, but were then placed in a situation that abused and neglected them again......pitiful
Many, many year ago in my home town, there was an shelter/foster home for children taken by the state. There was wide spread abuse in this facility! Not only were the kids taken from abuse and neglect, but were then placed in a situation that abused and neglected them again......pitiful
Another story I just cannot understand. Why do people like this even have kids? Do you think there are more cases of this now, or is it just that we hear about them more often because of our access to instant media? This makes me ill.
This is awful. Those poor kids will pay for being born into this home for the rest of their lives. I cannot even imagina a 5 year old weighing 158 lbs. And to have to live like an animal and then be put in a place where no one knows them? How sad is that? And in todays world there is no excuse. None! Mom should be responsible financially for their care even if she has to work 3 Walmart jobs to do it! And never get them back! It is times like this that I am thankful for the entitlement programs we have in place. Hopefully someone will adopt them and treat them right for a change. EW!
so sick...those poor girls...and the mom says the girls were not mistreated. how can you be so disconnected????
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