Authorities with the Freedom Township Police Department say three people are behind bars in Blair County after five young children were reportedly found living in deplorable conditions, which allegedly included being kept in “makeshift cages.”
Police say the children’s parents, Dominic and Zoe Zungali, both age 31, along with a female relative, 18-year-old Gillian Bem, all reportedly admitted to keeping the children locked up, in what they described as “enclosures,” for upwards of 20 hours per day.
According to the affidavit, the investigation began last Friday when officers were called to the intersection of Cream Hollow Road and Houtz Drive, in East Freedom, after the oldest child, age 7, was found wandering the streets by a nearby resident.
Police say the child was not wearing shoes, his pants were ripped and he was allegedly “covered in urine.”
Investigators say the child did not speak but was able to point the officers to his home along the 200 block of Fall View Road.
Police say that when the Zungalis answered the door, they initially claimed that all of their children were accounted for, but later stated that one of their children had reportedly “crawled out the window” while dinner was being made.
Authorities say the Zungalis then identified the 7-year-old boy as their oldest child, at which time officers asked to view their home, as well as the window that the child reportedly crawled out of.
Police say that during an inspection of the boy’s room, officers discovered that a total of five children, ranging in ages from 2 to 7 years old, were all living in “horrifying conditions.”
Investigators say the drywall inside one of the bedrooms had allegedly been “ripped off the walls,” exposing the electrical wiring and insulation.
Additionally, police say the home smelled of feces and urine, and several gates and cribs were reportedly turned into “makeshift cages.”
Officers noted that one of the cribs was reportedly littered with soiled clothing and diapers, as well as a moldy sippy cup and toys.
Police say the cribs and gates were reportedly zip-tied or weighed down to prevent the children from leaving.
Upon further investigation, police discovered more “filth” throughout the home, including animal feces and moldy food.
Police also reportedly found two cats and a rabbit, which were caged without food or water, and were removed from the residence.
Authorities say the children were also then removed from the home, as police noted that they all displayed signs of malnutrition.
According to the criminal complaint, when police purchased food for the children, they reportedly ate it “aggressively” due to their “extreme hunger.”
Police add that during an EMS evaluation of the children, it was discovered that the youngest (and smallest) child, age 2, was reportedly suffering from a “distended abdomen” and the child’s legs were visibly purple.
Investigators say the child has since been hospitalized, at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, for specialized treatment of what is believed to be “bowel obstruction.”
Police say that when they questioned the Zungalis and Bem, they all reportedly admitted to keeping the children locked in “enclosures” inside the home for approximately 12 to 20 hours per day.
Additionally, investigators noted that the home had no running water, the rooms had their doorknobs removed and the walls had holes in them from at least one of the children trying to “dig his way out.”
Police say all of the children have been placed in the custody of Blair County CYS and will eventually be placed into foster care.
According to online court records, the Zungalis and Bem are each facing multiple counts of felony child endangerment, false imprisonment and animal cruelty charges.
They are all jailed at the Blair County Prison, with bail ranging from $75,000 to $150,000.