A couple has been arrested after police discovered six children locked inside a storage unit under inhumane conditions.
The Discovery
According to WISN, an emergency call reported the sound of a child crying inside a locked unit at StorSafe. When officers arrived, they heard both crying and coughing from within. Firefighters cut through the padlock, allowing police to enter. Inside, they found six children ranging in age from 2 months to 9 years old.
Authorities stated that the unit had only minimal light coming through a crack in the garage door. The children were found with a sectional couch and a twin mattress that had no sheets. A bucket filled with urine was being used as a bathroom. The oldest child, a 9-year-old, told police that he had been left in charge of caring for his siblings and admitted to being hungry.
The Parents’ Arrest
The children’s parents, 33-year-old Charles Albert Dupriest and Azyia C. Zielinski, were found asleep in a Ford Expedition parked outside the facility with their dog. They later confessed to letting the children sleep inside the storage unit while they stayed in the car. Zielinski told investigators the family had been living in the unit for about six weeks after leaving a shelter. She also admitted that they placed the bucket inside for the children to use for relief. Investigators later learned that the couple was receiving food stamps and $2,000 in Social Security.
Dupriest and Zielinski are now facing six counts of child neglect. Dupriest also faces an additional charge of possession of a firearm by a felon. Both remain in custody as the case moves forward. Prosecutors say the children’s health and safety were put at serious risk.