A Houston mother and her boyfriend were questioned and released without any charges, after the woman’s three starving children, ages 7, 10, and 15, were found living alone in an apartment in deplorable conditions, along with the decomposing remains of their nine-year-old brother who police say had been dead for a year.
The siblings and skeletal remains were found at 3535 Green Crest, near Addicks Clodine & Westpark Tollway, in Houston, Texas, around 4.30 pm on Sunday, after responding to a request for a welfare check that was made by eldest child.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzales claimed that the three brothers had been living in terrible conditions for months without adult supervision. He also stated that the body of the child who died was on full display. Residents complained about the horrible smell.
Gonzalez updated late Sunday with information that Gonzalez had revealed that Gonzalez and her boyfriend were interviewed by homicide detectives.
Monday’s announcement by the sheriff was that the couple had been released without being charged or arrested. The couple were released without any explanation.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s department wrote an email to DailyMail.com in response to a request to comment: ‘This is an active investigation, with criminal charges pending.
Authorities have not indicated whether or not they are looking for the biological father of these children.
Although there was no evidence that the children were locked up, it appeared that they were being ‘fending for themselves’ after being abandoned by their parents.
Three siblings and skeletal remains of a fourth sibling were found at Houston’s 3535 Green Crest on Sunday
HCSO Sheriff Ed Gonzales said an unit was sent to do a welfare check at the residence after receiving a call. The body was not hidden
Gonzales stated that he believed the oldest sibling was doing his best to care for the children. He didn’t say who the apartment was registered to or who was paying the rent.
“Connecting all the dots, it appears they were there while the body was deteriorating.”
HCSO is currently investigating to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of the minor, and how long the children were alone.
KTRK was informed by a neighbor living in the apartment complex that she had complained for several months about a foul-smelling odor coming from the unit. This shocking discovery was made this weekend.
The horrific incident began at 3.15pm Sunday when a 15-year-old boy called 911 to report that his nine-year old brother had been missing for a year. His skeletonized body was located in a bedroom next to his apartment.
Gonzales tweeted that the teen had also revealed that his parents were not living in the apartment for several weeks.
Deputies were sent to the apartment to find the remains of a small boy.
According to the sheriff who described the situation as heartbreaking, the younger siblings ‘appeared malnourished with signs of physical injury’.
All three of the survivors were taken to hospital to be assessed and treated for injuries.
The minors now receive professional assistance and victim’s advocates are available to help them deal with trauma.
The case is being investigated by both CPS and Child Abuse investigators as well as Homicide investigators.
It is unknown if any of the siblings survived were enrolled at school.
The children were apparently abandoned by their parents for a long time and were now ‘fighting for each other’
The case is being investigated by both CPS and Child Abuse investigators, as well as Homicide investigators.
Residents in the area claimed that management has been conducting inspection rounds in their area for the past couple of weeks.
KTRK was informed by a neighbor who said she was unaware that anyone lived in the same unit as the siblings.
She claimed that 13 to 14 months ago she noticed an unpleasant odor emanating from what she thought was an abandoned apartment.
The woman stated that the smell was so bad that her air conditioner would not be able to keep the smell out of her apartment through the vents.
According to her neighbor, she had complained to the management of the building about the smell. However, it is not clear if anyone has gone to the unit that houses the siblings to inspect it.
Police stated that the investigation is still in its preliminary stages.
“Very terrible situation here, very tragic.” Gonzales addressed the media on Sunday evening. “I’ve been in the business for a while and I’ve never seen a situation like this.”
He said, “We are trying to identify next-of-kin to determine exactly how we got here…We’re going make sure we conduct an extensive follow up investigation.”